


Just a Game

by FearlessScarecrow



Category: Nerve (2016), 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Adrenaline, Alternate Universe - Nerve (2016) Fusion, Childhood Trauma, Cussing, F/F, Gen, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Movie Reference, Nervousness, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Teen Angst, Teenagers, Truth or Dare, Video & Computer Games, Violence, Watchers, Young Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2020-10-26 11:31:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 68,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20741510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FearlessScarecrow/pseuds/FearlessScarecrow
Summary: Chuuya doesn’t pull the trigger, just drops the gun at his side to Dazai’s confusion and the sound of disappointed shouts from the crowd of Watchers. The timer stays put on 0:00.“Chuuya, why-” Dazai starts.“I won’t do it! I’m not hurting you.”Chuuya plays a game called 'Nerve' where everything seems to be just a harmless cycle of dares and when you complete a dare, you earn cash. Which means, the bigger the dare - the more you earn. It's simple and easy...harmless, until it's not.Harmless? As if his life had ever been simple and easy!





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is inspired by the movie: Nerve. By the anime: Bungou Stray Dogs and @/shingekino_neon. All credit and copyright goes to the creators.

Chuuya doesn’t know why he's so unlucky as to have the night-shift on this busy Wednesday, but he supposes that he could both hates and love them sometimes; love them because a busy section means more tips, and hates them because he’s already exhausted from Tuesday’s shift and college classes.

_ 'I must be cursed by the gods',_ he thought with a deep sigh. 

With his energy quickly dwindling, Chuuya carefully wipes down his last dirty table and frowns as he catches sight of the folded bills that rest there. Three dollars is a bullshit tip for a forty dollar meal, but he’s dead on his feet and he can’t be bothered to be truly angry. At the very least, it’s three dollars he didn’t have before. 

_ 'Augh, fucking stingy bastards.' _

He shoves the tip into his pocket and looks up at the clock above the diner’s front door, watching as the hands shift to 4:37 a.m. With a tired grumble Chuuya jerks away from the table and makes his way past a group if cackling teenagers and another pair of quiet adults as he heads toward the counter-top. 

His own section is finally clear and clean for now which means he’s grateful for the chance to breathe and relax a little. Atsushi sends him a smile as he breezes by, his plates are full of food that he balances on his arms. Chuuya quirks the corner of his mouth up in a small response because that’s all he can muster, feeling too tired to pull a brighter smile. 

He pops his neck and sinks down behind the counter with his knees to his chest. He’s so tired that he can barely keep his eyes open and it’s no surprise to anyone but himself when he’s shaken awake sometime later.

_Ichiyo Higuchi,_ the cook and owner of the diner, crouches in front of him with her hand still clasped on Chuuya’s shoulder. If it were anyone else, any other job, Chuuya would be in hot water but Ichiyo knows him well enough and she chuckles lightly as Chuuya groans and drops his head back against the cabinet door.

“Pfff, you can't sleep here Nakahara,” she says tenderly, holding out her hand for him to take. Chuuya studies the blonde woman’s face and wonders if this time falling asleep on the job might have been one too many and if his sense of security here is all just bullshit in his head. 

But his boss just gives him a soft smile and a reassuring nod as she pulls him up and when he glances over the counter, Chuuya sees that not only are some of his tables occupied, he’s been asleep for a good half-hour.

“Shit. Ichiyo I’m so sorry-” he starts to say, but is cut off by a stern look from her as she shakes her head. 

“No, don’t apologise Nakahara,” Ichiyo insists with a motherly smile, nodding at Kyouka as she refills drinks at the fountain. “Sushi’s gonna take your tables, I suggest you go home and rest. I’ll see you Saturday.” Her tone is tender yet leaves little room for argument and Chuuya finds himself nodding along. 

Trading the diner’s cracked vinyl and hard floor for his fluffy blankets and bed sounds way better than it should considering he's about to leave his job before he should be.

Before he heads back into the kitchen, Ichiyo fixes Chuuya with a hard stare. “Two days from now Nakahara, you hear? I don’t want to see you back here until then.”

And with that, the woman is gone, leaving Chuuya alone with Atsushi behind the counter. He notices that there’s a to-go cup in Sushi's hand that he just knows is filled with hot tea because his friend has always had the habit to look out for him.

Atsushi offers it to Chuuya with a sympathetic look and he wants to apologize for doing this to Atsushi, but experience tells him it’s no use. So he reaches for the drink with a tired smile and hums as he sips on it the warm liquid.

“I don’t think _‘I owe you one’_ is accurate anymore.” Chuuya smirks. 

“Nah~ Don't worry, we've known each other long enough,” Atsushi says and grabs his shoulders to steer him towards the back door. “I know you don’t live far, but please text me when you get home. I'm always worried about you.”

Chuuya chuckles and nods at his friend, heading toward his car and waving back at Atsushi before he unlocks it and ducks inside.

The hot tea helps to wake him up a bit and at just after 5:00 a.m, his drive back home is much quieter than it usually is. He makes it back to the apartment complex in record time, slipping into his parking spot and out of the car as quickly as he can.

Once inside his apartment, Chuuya takes off his trainers and places his keys gently on the side table. His sister Kyouka is still asleep and he doesn’t want to wake her. He remembers what it’s like to be in high school. Sleep is a precious commodity so there's no way in hell he's taking it away from her too.

He quickly types a text to Atsushi letting him know he’s home and thank him again for having his back. Finally settling into his room, he promptly falls face first onto the bed. Chuuya doesn’t even bother to take his clothes off, he just lays there in his navy skinny jeans and rumpled blue shirt.

_ 'There's no way I'm gonna take a shower, I'll just pass out now.' _

He realises that the following two days are going to be some of his only real free days this month according to what he can remember from his busy schedule: with no work or homework to be done. So right now, as he tugs his pillow to his chest and slip his eyes shut, he’ll be damned if he spends another minute moving.

* * *

Chuuya wakes up to a blissful silence. There's no customers, no students, no excitable Atsushi, as much as he loves his friend. It’s just him and his empty apartment for the next few hours and that’s all he has to worry about. For a moment he considers just lazing in bed and taking advantage of the rest of the day by doing absolutely nothing, but he’s so used to being in constant motion, so used to being busy, that the thought leaves an uncomfortable itch under his skin.

He tilts his head up to check the alarm clock to his left and a bright blue 10:15 a.m blinks back at him. It’s not even 6 hours that he's slept but at least it’s somewhat average for him. 

Chuuya groans into his pillow then rolls off of his bed, stretching his arms up to the ceiling and wincing as his back cracks uncomfortably. He runs a hand through his hair, scratching at the back of his tangled locks as he makes his way to the bathroom. He’s about to brush his teeth when his phone rings, trilling sharply in the quiet and he walks out with his toothbrush in hand to answer it.

“Hello?” he answers hesitantly. 

_“Mr. Nakahara?”_ It’s a voice he’s heard before but can’t place.

“That's me,” he huffs and taps his foot impatiently. 

“_This is Principal Mamoto and I’m calling about your sister Kyouka? We’re going to need _ _you to come to the school._”

Chuuya shudders, “Huh? Is she okay? _What_ happened? I'll be right there.”

“_She’s fine, she's sitting right here in front of me. Though there has been an incident of sorts, so we’ll discuss that when you get here._” The principal grunts and hangs up. 

_ 'What the hell?' _

Chuuya quickly finishes brushing his teeth and runs into his room, changing into clean clothes as fast as he can. Kyouka never gets calls home, so it doesn’t matter that the principal said she was fine; Chuuya needs to see her for himself and make sure that she’s alright and they’re not keeping information from him to keep him calm or some shit.

_'What the hell are they going to do if she’s hurt?' _

An uncomfortable thought about money and medical bills enters his mind, but he shoves it aside as quickly as it came. He’ll do whatever he needs to in order for his sister to be alright and healthy. 

* * *

Chuuya’s worries was just a tad overboard when he arrives at the high school un record speed. Kyouka was, is fine, so much so that she’d laughed at him when he’d gotten there and his eyes narrowed in suspicion as he scanned her up and down for injuries. 

_Thankfully_ there were none and he exhales sharply as he sits next to his sister, who's perfectly fine with the corner of her mouth quirked upwards in a small smirk. He feels too old for this shit.

Across from them, Principal Mamoto chuckles lightly and leans back in his chair. “Thank you for coming so quickly, Mr. Nakahara.”

“It’s no problem at all. Now _why_ am I here?” he asks and scowls. 

“Straight to business I see,” principal Mamoto says with a smile, “I like that.” He leans forward, clasping his hands together as he continues, “Now, I wish we were meeting on more _positive_ terms, but unfortunately rules are rules. I’m going to have to suspend Kyouka for the next two days.”

Chuuya blanches, “Whoa- Why?” he asks, brows knitting together. He levels a glare at his sister. The smug look on her face crumples a bit, but she holds it together.

“Kyouka?” The principal’s voice sounds funny, like he’s trying to hold it together too, remain professional when all he wants to do is laugh. _'What the heck?' _

“Would you like to tell your brother why we’re here?”

"I got _dared_ to do something.” Kyouka fidgets a bit in her seat, tries and fails to not let her smirk grow. Chuuya can tell she’s probably caught between _worry_ at his reaction in the hopes that he’ll find what she did at least half as funny as she does. He doesn’t think he will, at least not now.

“Kyouka, what did you do?” Chuuya asks and he can see the principal’s amused expression out of the corner of his eye, so it can’t _possibly_ be that bad. 

“I replaced all the clarinets in band-class with big, black dildos.” Kyouka retorts. 

Principal Mamoto clears his throat and adds, “That’s 12, to be exact.”

Chuuya’s eyes widen in shock as he stares at Kyouka, incredulous. “What the shit- Where did you even get them?” he asks, then immediately thinks better of it. “Don’t answer that.” 

He turns to the principal. “Was anything damaged or broken?”

“No, no,” the principal says, waving his hands, “Kyouka brought the clarinets right back. Everything is fine, just a few scandalized students.”

Kyouka laughs quietly next to him. All Chuuya can do is shake his head and roll his eyes. “Alright, so just two days suspension then, yeah?” he questions. 

“Yes. Kyouka and I have already talked about the incident and I’ve been assured nothing like this will happen again. She has her belongings, so you’re free to go.” The principal leans back in his chair again with a smirk and a pointed look at the student. “We’ll see you soon, Kyouka.”

Chuuya waits until they’re back inside the car to interrogate her properly. “Alright Kyouka, you wanna tell me what the hell that was all about?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t think that was funny,” she responds, sliding into the passenger seat. Her phone goes off and she laughs at whatever pops up on it. He stares at her, then the phone and back again. 

With a sigh, he shifts the car into drive and heads out of the parking lot. “I think it was _hysterical_, but that’s not the point,” he says as he turns on to the main road. “It’s your senior year, you can’t afford to do shit like this.”

“_Gah,_ bro I know, I know. And I’m not gonna screw anything up, I swear. But Chuuya, I got a hundred dollars for doing it! If I do more, I could help you pay the bills. You wouldn’t have to work so much and-”

She’s cut off as Chuuya brakes hard at an intersection and a white car streaks passed them. “Oi! You dumb bastard, I’ve got the green!” He flips the driver off for good measure, though they’re gone from sight. “Kyouka,” he says as he continues driving, “You don’t ave to worry about money. I’m handling it.”

Chuuya reaches over and taps on her arm with the backs of his knuckles, but she keeps her eyes on the phone in her hands. “I appreciate it little sis, just do me a favor and keep your grades up for scholarships, alright? I’ll take care of the rest.”

“But Chuu~ya, you-” she begins but Chuuya interrupts her again. He doesn’t want to encourage her, not when her future is on the line. He makes his voice curious as they turn into their apartment complex. 

“Who even dared you to do something like that? I'm not gonna lie, I _kinda_ wish I thought of it when I was in school.” Chuuya grins. 

Kyouka doesn’t answer right away, just taps away at her phone as it buzzes and trills at her. She responds as they pull up and park, slinging her backpack over her shoulder while she shoves open the car door.

“No one in _specific_ dared me to do it,” she says, following him inside and into the elevator. “I’m playing this game called Nerve. It’s like, it’s like this big, statewide game of truth or dare without the truth. You get _followers_ the more you do and they come up with your dares.” 

Chuuya follows behind as they head upstairs and down the hallway toward their door, “Sometimes the dares are random, sometimes they’re based off of the stuff you like on your Facebook and places like that. They compile a profile for you and it goes on from there.”

“So basically,” Chuuya says, unlocking the door, “You took a dare from random people and they paid you.” He gives her a pointed look and tosses the keys on the side table.

“You know how stupid that sounds right? _And_ dangerous? How did they pay you for the dare?”

Kyouka locks the door behind her and sighs in exasperation. “It’s just a game, big bro, relax.” He glares at her and she at least has the decency to look a little apologetic as she drops down onto their couch.

“They sent the money straight to my bank account.” She pouts. 

Chuuya recoils a bit at that. His sister isn’t normally this idiotic. “What? Really? You just _gave_ them your information, just like that? How do you know you can trust these people? You’ve got savings in there. What if they just take it anytime they want?” 

He’s pissed off, royally pissed off. A dumb prank is one thing, but this is another fucking thing entirely.

Kyouka tosses her phone onto the cushion next to her and crosses her arms; her mouth settling into an angrier pout. “I’m not an _idiot_ Chuuya.”

“I beg to fucking differ,” he snaps at her and immediately regrets it. Kyouka stares at him with hurt in her eyes and he sighs loudly, rubbing a hand across his forehead as he drops down beside her. 

“Shit, sis. Look, I didn’t mean-”

“I get it, okay?” He watches her arms unfold, wincing as she digs her fingers into the couch at either side of her knees. “I know it’s not a job or anything, but it seemed like fun and I thought I could-”

She pauses to take a shaky breath and underneath all that pissed, Chuuya feels like shit. He hates making her upset. “I was just trying to help. I didn’t think about the dangers.” Kyouka stands up as she speaks; grabs her phone as she turns away from him to hide her face. Chuuya catches her hand, but she doesn’t turn around.

“Sis, I’m _really_ sorry. Don’t be upset, alright? You’re not an idiot.” He squeezes her hand. “I know that you want to help, I do. But if you really want work, let’s talk about something small-time, okay? I don’t know what this Nerve-thing is, but it seems _risky_ and I do not want you getting screwed over because of me.”

Kyouka’s silent for a minute before she rasps out a shaky _“okay”_ and slides her hand out of his, pressing her phone against her chest with her other. “I hear you.” She turns slightly and gives Chuuya a small smile, which he returns before standing up and ruffling her silky dark hair. 

“Stop it bro, I'm not a baby,” she says with a pout, laughing as she pushes his hand away from her, “I’m gonna go do homework, okay?”

Chuuya nods, satisfied with their little talk. “Yup, I think that's a good idea, little sis. I'll make us a light brunch.” He smiles as she gingerly strides away toward her own room. 

* * *

The rest of the day passes by quickly for Chuuya because he keeps busy all the time as he mostly spends it by cleaning while Kyouka hangs out in her room. She has a rather big mountain of make-up work she has to do thanks to her suspension, but if you don't play be the rules you have to pay for the consequences. 

He plays music to stove off the silence as he does the cleaning, singing low and off-key to himself while he vacuums and works his way through heaps of laundry.

Sometime around noon, Kyouka tiredly slinks into the kitchen for more food. And it’s rather normal, _Chuuya knows,_ for teenagers to resemble zombies on a regular basis. His sister is no exception, despite her excitable and often obnoxiously blunt demeanor. 

_Yet_ Chuuya can see she’s still somewhat upset from earlier. She doesn’t greet him or even look at him. The idea of helping him provide for the household _clearly_ meant a lot to her, though he’d hoped her frustration would have gone by now thanks to their earlier conversation.

She disappears shortly after grabbing a bowl of cereal _(he won't scold her because he knows she likes eating it the most, especially corn-flakes)_ as he finishes scrubbing at the last pot.

Soon enough he makes himself a plain sandwich to eat, nearly forgetting to feed himself as he immense himself in his duties. 

Other than a last batch of laundry that has to be folded and ironed, his chores are done and when he finishes eating, Chuuya heads into his bedroom with a cup of chamomile tea that's drizzled with honey and a pinch of cinnamon. He has a book clutched in his other hand, ready to be read and he can't wait to finally relax a little.

He knows Kyouka needs space right now and that it’s best to just leave her alone until she’s ready. 

_ 'Tch, I keep forgetting what it's like to be her age',_ he thinks as he plunges himself into the pages of a murder-mystery, sinking deeper and deeper against the headrest of his bed. 

Chuuya nearly dozes off twice and on the third time, he jerks awake when there's a knock at the door. The hardback book slides from his grip and lands painfully on the bridge of his nose, he _curses_ at himself because that's the millionth time it happens. 

He doesn’t realize he’s been reading-and-dozing for a few hours until he gets up and taps his phone on his way to the door. It lights up with a notification in the corner as he reads the time, baffled that it's nearly late into the evening already. 

Kyouka’s on the other side of the door when he opens it, her hair pulled into a bum and a bunch of takeout menus in her hands. “You hungry bro?” She asks with a grin, and waves the menus temptingly in front of him, “I’m buying.”

Chuuya leans against the door frame and smirks at her teasingly, but it melts into a smile as he nods his head and follows her out into the living room to choose.

An hour later they’re curled in their own corners of the couch, bento boxes from their favorite Japanese restaurant settled into their laps and the next episode of _Law and Order_ queued up on the television. It's a regular and comfortable position for them. 

Kyouka is still a little quieter than usual, but he chalks that up to her feeling bad about earlier. She's out and spending time with him, _her big brother,_ and that makes Chuuya feel like things are okay. At the very least, this whole Nerve-thing seems to be behind them, now that she's had time to relax. 

Chuuya knows he’ll work things out like he _always_ does, but he acknowledges that it might not be such a bad idea having Kyouka get a job, that way she'll mentally feel better and contribute to the household. Not that Chuuya expects that from her while she's still in high school, he'll happily take on another job if money gets too tight. 

They’re three episodes in before Kyouka’s mood _finally_ perks up and she returns to her normal behavior, chuckling and squealing with him whenever there's a scene worth doing so.

Chuuya gets up after the fourth episode to clear their dinner and he hears Kyouka’s phone go off as he’s rinsing off a plate. 

When he heads back to the living room, she’s gone, though he can hear her speaking faintly in her room. He frowns but sighs in resignation. Being abandoned by his teenage sister is _nothing_ new and Chuuya is fine with that.

She has friends of her own and besides, it's nearly time for her to go to sleep anyway. He contemplates going back into his own room but decides against it, settling himself instead across the couch with a cheap cider in his hand.

_Personally_ he prefers wine but they can't afford the pricier brands that doesn’t taste like cardboard so he sips on the Savanna Dry as an old western-movie starts.

Twenty minutes pass before Kyouka comes out again to join him, or he thought she was, but she slumps herself over the back of the couch and raps her knuckles gently on Chuuya’s stomach.

“Hey big brother,” she says _sweetly_ and if Chuuya hadn’t known her all her life, he might have missed the exaggerated rise in her voice. As it is, he can’t help but laugh because unfortunately for Kyouka he knows her too well and she only ever calls him_ "big brother"_ instead of _"big bro"_ whenever she wants something.

“What do you want, 'little sis'?” He muses back coyly yet he keeps his eyes trained on the movie, intently _focused_ on how the bad guy ate a mouth full of sand as he was shot and fell off from his horse. It must be gross to eat sand like that. 

Kyouka doesn’t beat around the bush, knowing full well she can't fool him, “Am I grounded?” she asks hesitantly. 

He clears his throat, “You’re done with Nerve right? This whole thing,” he waves his hand. “No shit like this is going to happen again.” It’s more of a statement than a question.

“Yup, totally.” She nods. 

“Then I guess you’re not grounded.” He sits up, taking a swig of his Savanna. “Why do you ask? I _bet_ you want to go somewhere.”

“Well...Ryu texted me there’s a party at his friend’s house in LA tomorrow night, so I was hoping…” She trails off, but her pleading puppy dog eyes continue their assault.

“You want go, right? I don't see a problem," he hums._ 'Jeez, the violence in these old movies look so realistic.'_

Her next sentence is infinitely more direct than the last. “Yeah and I want to borrow the car, if that's okay.”

“I _should_ be grounding you, but…” he trails off and it’s true, she got herself in trouble, as stupidly funny as that trouble was, so he should be punishing her. But fortunately for Kyouka, Chuuya’s never been so black and white and she's not in primary school anymore. In fact, his little sister is not so little anymore. 

“Uhm, is that a yes?” she grins and playfully slide her fingers through his locks, scratching at his scalp. 

“Yeah, of course it is.” Chuuya says with a yawn. 

“...and I can borrow the car?”

“I _guess_ so. It's not like I have anywhere to be tomorrow. But Kyouka, I swear to the gods, if anything happens to that car I'll throw you in a river.” He caves, because _damn,_ she can be such a cute and manipulative little shit. 

Kyouka squeals happily, reaching down to wrap her arms around Chuuya’s head, kissing the top of his crown.

“I’m a shitty guardian,” he grumbles and holds his cider out of her way to avoid spilling.

She chuckles, “Oh stop it bro, you’re the _best_ and you know it.” She gives him another kiss, this time on the cheek and then pulls back to run off toward her room.

"Thank you so much Chu-chu!" she chirps fown the hall. 

“Your homework comes first, remember!” he shouts back and sighs, feeling a tender warmth crawl up his spine. He really loves her and he'll always protect her no matter the cost. 

But… 

…that night Chuuya goes to bed with mixed feelings. On one hand, he’s okay. He and Kyouka have talked things out about work and Nerve and she’s fine now. That’s really all that matters to him. 

On the other hand he feels like _shit_ because if circumstances had been different, if he’d worked harder, made more money _(did something with himself more than fixing vehicles and bussing tables)_ his sister wouldn’t have felt the need to get mixed up in something that could’ve been dangerous just to help him out. 

It’s true that they’re living pretty much paycheck to paycheck right now, but they get by and they’re _happy_ and that’s the most Chuuya can hope for given the circumstances.

He can always cut back on his honey and tea, even the stupid cinnamon and Savanna - they'll work it out, they always have. 

* * *

Chuuya wakes up before sunrise with an itch under his skin, one that has him blinking _rapidly_ and throwing on a pair of sweats for a morning jog.

He’s got the urge to do something but he doesn’t know what, so he focuses his energy on his _breathing_ and the thud of his trainers against the sidewalk as he makes his way out of the complex and down to the local park. 

He makes it nearly five miles, lap after lap around the park’s lake before the urge subsides and he feels calm enough to sit down on a bench and take a breather. With all the hours he works, Chuuya never really has time to do things like this. His days are a mess of fixing vehicles and waiting tables and of course, trying to sleep without much luck so it feels good to just get away from life and watch the sun come up over the horizon.

When he decides to come home, the sun is beating brighter and Kyouka is already awake and putting away the dishes. He kicks off his shoes and heads in for a glass of water, leaning against the counter next to her as she shelves their plates and cutlery.

“Morning big bro,” she says with a smile and he has to laugh. Because this smile of hers is one of those that doesn’t do its job, it doesn’t hide how _excited_ she is even though he knows that’s what she’s trying to do.

It’s a smile that twitches at the corners, mirrors just how its wearer feels: like she’s about to burst into the living embodiment of a grin and dance like an idiot around the house. 

It makes him smile in return, though his smile falls more into the category of a ‘smirk’ rather than anything else.

“You look pretty excited.” He comments and rolls his shoulders as he leans, _watching_ as she starts putting the bowls away, stacking them together just like he taught her. 

“Augh, shut up.” Kyouka tries and fails to keep the smile from spilling into a grin. “I’m really excited, okay.” She places the last of the glasses in the cabinet and looks over at him, drumming her fingers on the edge of the sink. 

“Thanks again for letting me go, bro.” Chuuya nods, then chugs the last of his water and sets down the glass with a light clink.

“Sure, sis,” he says, crossing his arms. “You don’t have to clean up or do my chores you know. I said it was fine if you went, you don’t have to kiss my ass for it.”

“Yeah, but I’m gonna have a good night tonight, so you should too. You should try to go out or something, have fun for a change.”

“I _do_ have fun cleaning. Give me a cider and a duster and I’m all set.” He smirks

Kyouka groans and looks up at the ceiling. “Ugh, I know. You're such a recluse and party-pooper sometimes,” She opens the drawer between them and starts putting away the last of the silverware. “You’re weird, but you’re my brother and I love you.”

“Aw~” His voice is teasing as he reaches over with one hand and tugs her head down to kiss her temple. “I love you too, you cheeky little shit.”

Kyouka gives him a quick smile, then takes one whiff of him and shoves him away, her nose wrinkling. “Ugh, you smell fucking gross! Like sweat.”

Chuuya drops his jaw in mock outrage and points a scolding finger at Kyouka. “Oi! Watch your _fucking_ language.” She sticks her tongue out at him and shuts the drawer, finished with her task. 

“I will if you will, shortie.” She snides playfully.

“I'm fun size you, you…slightly-taller-yet-younger-than me, little _sassy_ shit,” he says but can't come up with another jab, so he turns and heads off to take a refreshing shower.

* * *

The rest of the day passes by quickly for them both. With nothing to do around the house, Chuuya finishes his murder-mystery, what turns out to be a surprisingly decent sequel to one of his favorite books and Kyouka gets most of her homework done, all before lunch. 

They make toasted sandwiches and hunker down in the living room, Chuuya settled in the armchair and Kyouka spread out on the couch like a spifer. He flicks through their limited channels for a bit, _stopping once_ or twice on something interesting while Kyouka messes with her endlessly buzzing phone. 

Chuuya scoffs at her ever so often; he’d known his sister did pretty well for herself in terms of friends but not like this, she seems to be glued to that thing lately.

_Eventually_ he finds something he deems worthy of watching, some nature documentary about rock-climbing skills. It’s not until halfway through the documentary that he realizes Kyouka has fallen asleep which means for a good ten minutes or so, he’s been talking to himself whenever he comments about something he's found interesting. 

Immediately he feels like a rambling idiot, his words falling on the deaf ears of a captive audience. He _could_ let her sleep, payback for calling him short but he’s not so cruel. Kyouka will be disappointed if he doesn’t wake her up in time to get ready for the party. 

So like the good big brother that he is, he gets up, keeping his footsteps silent as he goes to her side. “Time to get up sis,” he says, shaking her shoulder lightly. 

For normal people that would work, but of course Kyouka sleeps through everything like a rock. He ends up having to basically scream in her ear and Kyouka _flails_ and rolls off the couch as she startles awake.

“Augh shit, _I’m up,_ I’m up!” she huffs and Chuuya shakes his head, his laughing is a series of sharp exhales as he watches his sister try and fail to extricate herself from her blanket. He takes pity on her, grabbing the corner of the blanket so she can climb out of it.

“Go on and get out of there, you dork.” He says, his voice low and amused. Kyouka glares at him with pursed lips but her expression dissolves into a smile as she reaches her hand out towards him, her silent request undercut with laughter.

“Lazy ass,” Chuuya grumbles, but he pulls her up anyway and she giggles as she pops up with an exaggerated jump, just like she used to do when they were younger. It makes him _nostalgic,_ it makes him miss when things were easier and real life was a thing he thought about but didn’t practice.

But he’s stuck in the middle of it and now at least, as he watches his sister head off to get ready, Chuuya can admit how proud he is to have kept them afloat so far. 

Things aren’t the best right now, but they’re making ends meet and that’s pretty damn good for what they’re working with. Before Chuuya knows it, it’s time for Kyouka to head out. 

He’s leaning over the countertop, scrolling through his phone when he hears her door open, her voice carrying through the apartment as she heads into the living room. Chuuya follows her in, waits while she hangs up the phone and begins searching frantically for something on the couch.

He spots her wallet on the end table in front of him and snatches it, holding it up with a small wave. 

“Looking for _this,_ little sis?” he muses and she breathes a sigh of relief; comes around to grab the wallet but he pulls it behind his back and out of her reach with a lightly scolding ‘tch’. “Tell me the rules first.”

Kyouka smirks and rolls her eyes at him, then repeats the list she's heard a dozen times before. “No unprotected sex, no drugs, if I drink I stay there,” she says, ticking them off on her fingers. “And if I get in trouble I call you first, then the cops.”

Chuuya rolls his own eyes at her rehearsed tone but she’s never broken a rule and he trusts her, so he holds out her wallet with a nod. “Alright, have fun, Kyouka. Tell Ryu that I said hi.” Kyouka smiles and takes her wallet, kissing Chuuya’s cheek as she turns to go.

“Thank you, Chu-chu!” She grabs her jacket and keys and heads for the door. “See you later!”

“Keep in touch, alright? Love you always~” he calls out as the door opens and receives a quick ‘_you got it', _and_ 'love you too bro',_ before the door shuts and he’s alone in the quiet of the apartment once again.

He doesn’t know it’ll be the last bit of calm he has for the night. Because as the saying goes, the calmness has a wicked tendency to always brew up a wild storm. 

_ **To Be Continued… ** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is inspired by the movie: Nerve. By the anime: Bungou Stray Dogs and @/shingekino_neon. All credit and copyright goes to the creators.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Two and guess who finally meets? Yeah, it's the scene in the diner!!!
> 
> All rights reserved to @/shingekino_neon and the creators of Bungou Stray Dogs as well as Nerve.

_Despite_ everything that’s happened to Kyouka and him, Chuuya sometimes forgets that life doesn’t always do what you want it to do, that the ground falls out from beneath your feet when you’re not ready and the best you can do is try to slow the fall. 

It happens when things have been good for a while, when tips have been plenty and shifts at the shop have been busy and he can pay bills without worry. It happens when his hard work pays off and he has a little extra money at the end of the month to put towards Kyouka’s future.

_But_ it also happens when things are overwhelming, when he’s so busy trying to keep their heads above the water that he forgets to pay attention to the shit he actually should be paying attention to. 

For example, like his email inbox which he _never_ remembers to check. It’s why he misses a very important email, one that pulls the rug out from under him and has him flying face first into a frustrated panic. Of course it has to be an email, not a letter, which would have actually gotten to him in time to fucking do something about the situation.

The email is from the apartment complex’s management company. Or rather, _new_ management company. 

Chuuya realizes as he reads through the email for the umpteenth time, hating the new management already because in just one _‘polite and professional’_ notice, they’ve royally fucked him over. Not only is this new company bullshit, but they’re hiking the rent up; $130 more a month, plus raised utilities.

They’ve oh-so-kindly given the tenants time to vacate, but only within 30 days notice and Chuuya’s way past that now. 

He can’t just up and leave and it kills him because it’s the most passive aggressively worded _‘agree to this or get the fuck out’_ notice he’s ever seen. He’s pissed at them sure, but more pissed at himself for not thinking to look at his account at a time when this shit could have been handled.

Chuuya lets out frustrated growl.

“Fucking hell,” he says through gritted teeth, his eyes closed tight as he thinks of a way through this. He needs money, but like hell is he gonna ask his friends for help again; he’s only just finished paying Atsushi and Ichiyo back for the last time.

Chuuya _nervously_ paces the room, digging his fingers into his hair and pulling at the strands. He refuses to make a burden of himself, yet again, so it doesn’t matter how, he just needs to find another way. He knows he could probably ask for more shifts at the diner but there’s no guarantee he’ll get them and more than that, he hates the idea of taking all the extra shifts when Atsushi and the other workers need money just as bad as _he_ does. 

He _could_ get a third job, but that would mean basically no sleep and he knows himself well enough to know that would probably kill him, and he will not leave Kyouka on her own like that. His fingers itch with the need to do something, to halt the rising desperation he feels.

Then a _sudden_ weird thought enters his mind, a rather dumb, dangerous thought and it’s one he hates but can’t deny it might work. He knows the game his sister was playing sounds stupid, he knows that he has no _real_ idea what it is and he just chewed Kyouka out for being a part of it, but she did say that it was money. Fast money too, from what it sounded like and even though he feels disgusted at his own hypocrisy, Chuuya lets the thought grow larger and larger. 

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t _curious_ to begin with and this situation only makes his twisted emotions worse. The only problem is that he has absolutely no idea how to _access_ the game, he didn’t ask Kyouka the details yesterday. He has no idea where the fuck you would even find something like this and he doubts it’s just on the internet for anyone to see.

_ 'How had Kyouka found it in the first place?'_ he wonders and wring his hands.

Chuuya can’t just ask her outright, that's just wrong. He huffs in annoyance, _slamming_ his palms down to grip the back of the couch as he thinks of what to do. 

Then he remembers Kyouka’s laptop. If he’s going to find Nerve anywhere, it’s going to be on there if he's not mistaken.

He gingerly looks over his shoulder at his little sister's door and an uneasy feeling worms its way into his stomach. It’s a feeling he usually manages to avoid by having an open and respectful relationship with his sister and it sticks there, nagging as he considers violating her privacy.

_ 'This isn't right',_ he debates and bites his lip. 

Chuuya is desperate and he knows it so Kyouka will just have to _forgive_ him because it’s the only thing he can do for them right now. He turns, feeling resigned and heads into his sister’s bedroom to find the laptop. He finds it on her desk, recoiling with an audible ‘tch’ as he turns it on and is visually assaulted by a collage of Kyouka and her friends. 

He clicks the center of the screen and the pictures are quickly whisked away, only to be replaced by a password prompt which has him pausing because, no, _goddamnit_ he didn’t even think about a password. Aside from a few important accounts he’s got no use for them and Chuuya doesn’t even know where to begin with Kyouka’s. Or maybe he does, he realizes as the prompt times out and the collage settles back on screen. 

His sister is a teenage girl after all and while she is a bit _different_ than most, there’s still a few stereotypical things that she _does_ do and he hopes this is one of them. It takes Chuuya twenty-one tries, twenty-one bullshit combinations of the different friend-names before he finally gets it right. 

He clicks on the colorful Chrome icon and prays to the gods that Kyouka didn’t think to clear her history, holding his breath as he types_ ‘Nerve’_ into the search. The seconds it takes for something to come up feels like an hour and the result isn’t what he expects.

It’s not _nerve.com_ or something remotely obvious. Instead the search redirects to a dark page, followed by some jumble of characters. The air rushes out of Chuuya as he catches sight of the word nerve tacked on at the end.

The site is simple enough when it opens, a black background with the words _‘Player’_ and _‘Watcher’_ written and framed in neon. For some reason it makes Chuuya hesitate; it feels off, like it’s a neon tinged _void_ and he’s about to get lost in it.

The cursor hovers over _‘Player’,_ waiting for him to make a move. His choices are limited, and even though he wishes things were different, Chuuya knows what he has to do it. 

He grits his teeth and with a sharp, _determined_ exhale, throws himself down the rabbit hole.

Chuuya doesn’t know what he expected - a signup form, a liability waiver, _whatever it was,_ it certainly isn’t the sound of a voice greeting him instead as its electronic tones pumping through the speakers.

“**Hi! Welcome to Nerve! You have chosen Player.**” The voice says and a video starts as it speaks. “**Nerve is a direct democracy. Watchers decide your dares. The two Players with the most Watchers by the end of regulation will advance to the final round, where the winner takes all.**”

The montage of images on the screen picks up speed; a guy caught streaking, a man with a video camera and a crown all fly past until it settles on bright green rotating dollar signs. 

“**Watchers can watch from anywhere but they are encouraged to film live, so don’t be alarmed. There are three rules: one, all dares must be filmed on the Player’s phone; two, there are only two ways to be eliminated, ** **fail or bail; three, snitches get stitched. Thank you for keeping Nerve a secret. Good luck, Player!**”

Chuuya stares at the computer _incredulously,_ brow furrowed as the words **‘good luck’** rotate on the black screen. A second later, his phone vibrates in his back pocket. He pulls it out, eyes narrowed as he gazes suspiciously at the screen. A small box labeled **‘ENTER ID’** appears, along with a place to scan his fingerprint and Chuuya scoffs. 

Seeing the process is _different_ than _hearing_ about it and this is definitely not some fucking kids’ game. His index finger hovers over the print, he knows this is probably his last chance to back out, because once he’s in he sure as hell doesn’t plan on bailing. The phone lights up as he presses his finger to the pad.

The laptop brightens with a _ping_ and in the center of the screen is more neon lettering, yellow and purple in the sea of black.

**Are you ready for your first dare?**

Chuuya huffs out an incredulous laugh, eyeing the word _‘accept’_ that is his only option. “Not like you’re giving me much of a fucking choice there,” he mumbles as he clicks.

When his phone doesn’t immediately ring or vibrate, Chuuya figures it’s part of the _‘more followers, _ _more dares’_ thing Kyouka mentioned. 

He shuts the browser and computer down, then leaves the room. It’s only two minutes later that his phone does go off, the same bright text delivering a new message. **‘Go to Stray Dog’s Diner.’** A timer appears below it, thirty minutes shows and immediately starts ticking down.

“What the- oh shit!” he curses because Kyouka has the car and he knows for a fact he _can’t_ run to the diner in that amount of time. Chuuya checks the time and curses again but then he remembers that Atsushi isn't working today. 

He immediately dials Atsushi's number and his friend picks up on the third ring, Atsushi's groggy voice echoes through the phone’s small speaker. “Hey, Chuuya! What's up?”

“No time to explain, Sushi. Are you busy right now?”

Atsushi yawns. “Uh yes and no. But I if you need me for something it's ok because I was just sleeping. You sound a little out of breath.”

“I'm alright, I'll explain _later_ but I need you to come get me and bring me to the diner as fast as you can.”

“Okay, jeez, I’ll be right there,” Atsushi says and hangs up.

Chuuya breathes deeply in relief, tapping his phone to check the timer. He has twenty five minutes left and calculates Atsushi’s ETA in his head, figuring he’s got about 7 minutes until he has to be down by the door and ready to go. 

His pajamas are not the clothes he wants to spend the night being filmed in so he _rushes_ into his room to change, throwing on a pair of his neater black jeans and a blue hoodie, heading into the bathroom afterwards to brush his teeth and comb his hair.

He spares a glance in the mirror when he decides he doesn’t look too much like shit, pulling a beanie on his head for good measure. 

It’s the best these so-called _Watchers_ are going to get, after all, he doesn't own any designer clothes or anything. 

Atsushi announces his arrival with a text just a few minutes later and Chuuya rushes to the door, shoving his feet into his sneakers as fast as he can, then he’s off, _skipping_ down the steps two at a time.

He jogs through the lobby and out the front door to where Atsuhi's is parked, car idling at the curb. Chuuya slides in and with a quick nod, they’re off, his friend foregoing questions in favor of hitting the gas. 

He has twenty minutes left to complete the dare and the adrenaline pulsing through his veins feels kinda rejuvenating. 

* * *

Stray Dog’s Diner is bustling when they arrive and as Atsushi rolls into a spot near the door, the timer flares at _eleven_ minutes left and Chuuya’s nerves flare like fire. It’s bullshit; there’s no reason to be nervous. He’s capable. Chuuya has always trusted in himself to do what needs to be done. So why is he nervous? 

_ 'Stop',_ he tells himself and shoves those slight nerves down beneath the drive and desperation that got him here.

He glances at Atsushi. His friend hadn’t done more than hum curiously when Chuuya had filled him in on the way over, but now Chuuya finds him staring back, Sushi's eyebrows knitted together like he’s trying to read his mind. His friend must sense his hesitation; Atsushi’s always been a perceptive person.

Atsushi's voice is laced with that _concerned-but-trying-not-to-be_ tone he always has when it comes to Chuuya. “Do you really want to do this, Chuuya?” 

The timer states five minutes left and it feels _strange_ but it’s happening for real now, no regrets and no turning back. He gives a quick nod of his head and reaches over to open the door. “Come on Sushi,” he says with a smirk, “I have three minutes left.”

Once inside, they head straight for Atsushi’s section where he usually wait tables at and settle into an open booth in the back corner. Chuuya palms his phone, fingers tapping the screen to _confirm_ his arrival. It vibrates back at him almost immediately, the neon letters displaying his next move in the sequence.

Chuuya groans and Atsushi chuckles, a smirk pulling at his friends' mouth. “It can’t be _that_ bad, Chuuya. What does it say?”

In reply, Chuuya reads the text aloud, “Kiss a stranger for five seconds - $100. ”

Atsushi’s mouth forms a silent _‘oh’,_ understanding flitting across his features. Of all the things it could have been, _it’s actually…_not that bad. It’s not like Chuuya has _never_ kissed anyone before, he just hasn’t kissed many and he prefers to actually know someone before swapping germs with them.

Atsushi knows Chuuya’s preference but he encourages him anyway, shrugging his shoulders as he does.

“You’re doing this for Kyouka, right?” Atsushi encourages and Chuuya sighs at that. He hits the _‘accept’_ button; it’s his first legitimate dare and for a hundred dollars… 

_ 'Well a few germs isn’t such a bad trade.' _

The timer re-appears, this time with a short five minutes lighting the screen. “Shit, alright. Here,” Chuuya says in a quick, nervous voice, sliding the phone towards Atsushi. “The thing said it has to be filmed on my phone or it _doesn’t_ count. Now help me find someone who looks like they _won't_ chop my head off for being kissed by a stranger.” 

He would've preferred to just kiss Atsushi and get it over with, but he has a strange feeling this jacked up game would know so together they scan the diner, Chuuya taking one side and Atsushi the other.

He sees an elderly couple, a family with a few kids, but no one he’d just walk up and lay one on. He looks quickly at his phone, he has three minutes left. 

“Hey Chuuya, what about him?” Atsushi asks and Chuuya turns to see _who_ his friend is pointing at. The person’s face is hidden behind a book but from the glimpse of the body and the shaggy brown hair, Chuuya thinks they might be a young guy which is good enough for him.

Atsushi clears his throat, “He’s attractive enough, he looks so androgynous though,”

Chuuya scoffs. “His face is behind a book.” It’s not even _just_ a book. It’s 1984, one of Chuuya’s favorites and one of the only ones he actually goes back to time and time again. At least this nameless, _faceless_ person has good taste in novels.

“Trust me~” Atsushi says with a grin, “I saw him earlier. He’s _more_ than adequate for the task.”

Chuuya rolls his eyes and tilts his head, trying to peer around the book to see the guy’s face but _strangely_ it’s like he knows what Chuuya’s doing; he shifts the book this way and that way as he turns a page.

What Chuuya _can_ see is long, splayed legs under the table and a pair of skinny-yet-slightly-toned arms where his elbows rest on its surface.

_ 'Is that bandages peeking out underneath the guy's sleeves?'_ Chuuya wonders with a frown. 

He hears the thud of Atsushi’s fingers as they tap on the table behind him, his voice concerned as he conveys the time left on Chuuya’s phone: _less_ than two minutes.

“Shit, alright,” Chuuya says with a slight shake of the head. He’s annoyed with himself for the ridiculous hesitation. He’s got a job to do but he _pauses_ nonetheless, nervous to push past the safety of his usual monotony.

He grits his teeth and stands, smoothing the front of his hoodie as he levels Atsushi with a cool stare. 

“You better record every second.” Chuuya says and Atsushi responds with a _knowing_ smirk, picking up Chuuya’s phone. He taps at it, then turns it on the side to get ready to film and nods his head towards the guy.

With a purse of his lips, Chuuya turns on his heel and makes his way down the aisle. 

He falters in his steps when his _intended_ victim lowers the book and a set of warm amber eyes meets his own. They’re attached to a face that Chuuya doesn’t expect but he finds that Atsushi’s _‘attractive enough’_ comment doesn’t even begin to cover it.

This guy is gorgeous. Even under the cool tint of the diner’s lights, his skin looks flawless and Chuuya wants to run his fingers along the strong jawline and down the column of his neck and… 

Chuuya coughs feeling embarrassed, he rights himself and makes the final few steps toward the table, the guy is smiling at him the whole way which in hindsight, is creepy as fuck.

He opens and closes his mouth a few times, willing himself to say _‘hello’_ or _‘how are you’_ or anything coherent but he’s actually speechless. His feisty confidence is muddled by nerves and the guy’s unexpected attractiveness. 

Lucky for him, his victim seems to have no such problem and his voice is strong and clear as he peers up at Chuuya. “Hey there shortie~” he says, his mouth spreading into a bright and toothy smile that stretches up towards his amber eyes. 

Chuuya doesn’t…can’t answer at first, just turns to glance back at Atsushi with a quirked eyebrow that says ‘_Attractive enough? Are you fucking kidding me?_’

The guy, _bandage-guy,_ Chuuya decides to call him in his head, looks at Chuuya with light concern. “Uh, are you okay? Or are you deaf or something?”

Atsushi holds up one of his fingers, tapping against the watch on his wrist._ 'Shit, there's only one minute left!'_

Chuuya turns back to bandage-guy, “George Orwell,” Chuuya says awkwardly, rubbing a hand against the back of his beanie.

The smile on bandage-guy's face slips. "Excuse me?” he questions smoothly and Chuuya looks at him, puzzled before gesturing at his book.

He follows Chuuya’s gesture quietly, eyes _widening_ as he remembers the book he just put down.

“Oh right, _yeah,_ Orwell is excellent, really great~” Chuuya laughs because it’s a bold-faced lie if he ever heard one. He has to hand it to him though, he tried and if wasn’t for the _pathetically_ forced enthusiasm of his voice, Chuuya _might_ have believed him.

“You never _actually_ read him, have you?” he asks and bandage-guy mimics Chuuya’s earlier gesture, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck before holding his hands against his chest in mock-defeat. 

“Ah, _no._ I actually haven’t.” At that, Chuuya snorts and shakes his head because this whole thing is _ridiculous_ and it doesn’t even really matter that the guy hasn’t read the book. He’s gorgeous and not an old man or with his family and actually perfect for what Chuuya has to do and if Chuuya wasn’t being so, _whatever he is right now,_ he would just get this over with and run back to the table and-and-and-

“You know what? Fuck it,” he says under his breath and dips down to press his lips against the bandage-guy's own; and somehow it works. Bandage-guy’s mouth is parted and Chuuya’s lips fit _softly_ between his own. He leans into the kiss, counts five seconds, slowly to be sure, and then it’s over. 

They pull apart, Chuuya straightening himself as the guy slowly opens his eyes and his mouth splits into a smirk. He opens his mouth to say something that Chuuya doesn’t hear, because he’s already gone, slipping into the booth across from Atsushi with a nod and a grunt. “Did you record it all?”

Atsushi slides him the phone in answer. The screen is still black, but this time the bright yellow text beams with the words **‘Dare Complete’.** Chuuya closes his eyes and exhales in relief, only to open them again as the phone ‘kachings’ in his hand and more text fills its small screen. He reads it out loud:

“Chuuya Nakahara, $100 has been wired to your account.”

Atsushi chuckles lightly. “Well that was fast.”

“Very fast,” Chuuya says, skeptical and again he finds himself _glad_ that he made Kyouka quit.

He opens up his phone and checks his bank account. Sure enough, there’s a $100 direct deposit. The relief that floods through him is instantaneous. He’s content to risk himself here, but that was a little too quick for him to be completely comfortable, _though_ he has no plans of stopping now. 

His hesitation is overshadowed only by the quiet thrill that courses through him, at earning that money so quickly and at the kiss, as chaste and random as it was. The adrenaline is electrifying.

He chances a look behind him, but when he turns, bandage-guy isn’t there and Chuuya feels a foreign pang in his chest as he realizes he probably won’t see the guy again. 

His thoughts are interrupted though as Atsushi slides over into the space next to him, staring down at the phone with a frown. _Clearly_ his friend is apprehensive and Sushi sags into the booth, immediately leaning his head against Chuuya’s shoulder.

“Are you _sure_ you want to do this, Chuuya?”

Chuuya scoffs, he's appreciative of the endless support Atsushi always give. But this game is just a temporary job. He can handle it.

“Yes, Atsushi. I’m sure.” 

Atsushi nods, his expression simultaneously looks concerned and impressed. Chuuya ignores him at first, tapping at his phone to see if he’s missed something, anything about another dare but the app is blank, displaying only his username and the total he’s earned so far.

Then Atsushi nudges him with his arm to gets his attention. "Um...Chuuya-”

He looks up to see Atsushi’s finger pointing at something behind him, _or someone,_ Chuuya realizes as he twists his torso and catches sight of the guy he just kissed. Bandage-guy is stepping up on top of a table and Chuuya quirks an eyebrow. _'What the fuck is that guy thinking?'_

Suddenly bandage-guy is staring and pointing at him as the stereo system is turned up and the lyrics of Eddie Money’s “Take Me Home Tonight” filter through the diner’s speaker-system.

“Oh for the love of- what does he think he’s doing?” Chuuya asks.

_'Bandage-guy is **clearly** out of his mind or maybe he's just a walking disaster',_ Chuuya thinks as a trickle of amused heat settle in his chest, even as he wants to both shrink down in the booth and smack the guy for being ridiculous.

“I think,” Atsushi says slowly, “That it's a dare.”

Chuuya frowns but _damn_ maybe Atsushi is right because behind the section divider is a young woman with a phone and she’s following every move that the bandage-guy makes; every move that takes him _closer_ to Chuuya.

Chuuya’s eyes drift back up to him. He’s actually singing as he steps over the back of a booth, still pointing at Chuuya, “Take me home tonight, I don’t wanna let you go til ya see the light.” 

_ 'Pfff, he’s really into this',_ Chuuya grins because mister too-attractive-for-this-universe is so intently staring at him that he forgets to look down at the back of the last booth, nearly tripping over it until he rights himself.

Chuuya snorts at the goofy grimace that ghosts over the guy’s features. He hops off of the table and lands in front of Chuuya and Atsushi as the song ends, his silky voice carrying off with the last of the fading lyrics.

“Be my little baby~” 

Bandage-guy grins down at Chuuya, tips his head up in a silent request and Chuuya shakes his head with a small smile, sliding further into the booth.

“So that-” bandage-guy starts but he’s interrupted by the young woman, who holds out a phone with a quick _‘good job’_ and then leaves. He turns back to Chuuya, his expression satisfied. “I'm sorry, shortie. But that was fun, _won't_ you agree?”

It takes Chuuya a minute and a kick in the shin to respond because even though he heard the words, his focus has narrowed to the spot where bandage-guys’ skin pressed against his own. It’s _stupid_ and Chuuya doesn’t know what he’s doing but there’s _something_ about this guy and when he looks up, there’s two sets of curious eyes staring at him. 

He scowls at his friend and the attention, his voice keeping in a deadpan. “Yeah, a shit ton of fun. Way to go, acting like a fool.”

“Aw, come on. Kissing me couldn’t have been _that_ bad~” bandage-guy wriggle his eyebrows and Chuuya smirks, looking directly into his amber eyes. 

“N-no, it wasn’t, uhm," Atsushi laughs and Chuuya kicks out, smirk settling deeper when he hears a low ‘ow’. 

Bandage-guy's smile twitches as he tries to hold back his own laugh, holding out his hand to Chuuya. “_Good_, ‘cause I liked kissing you. My name’s Dazai.”

_ 'Gorgeous and straight to the point',_ Chuuya thinks and he’s glad he chose Dazai to be his victim, no matter his dubious use of novels. He shakes Dazai’s hand, ignoring the way even a simple handshake sends a spark through him. 

“I’m Chuuya,” he nods his head towards his friend, “...and that’s Atsushi.”

“Hi, nice to meet you Atsushi~” Dazai says, reaching over to shake his hand. Atsushi just smiles at him but it’s Atsushi who makes a remark. “That was _quite_ a dare. I can't believe you did that in front of all these people.”

Dazai laughs, running a hand through his chocolate hair. “Yeah, it was. It seems that people like to watch me act like a clown. _But hey,”_ he says with a shrug of his shoulders, “...at least the pay is good!”

Chuuya starts to respond but stops as both his and Dazai’s phones go off, _chirping_ as the bright yellow Nerve-text lights up the screens. Chuuya snatches his phone, regretting letting Dazai distract him even though he didn’t miss anything.

The message says, **‘Go to Los Angeles with him. $200.’ **

And if the game didn’t creep him out before, it sure as hell does now. He remembers what the introductions said earlier: _Watchers_ do exactly what their name suggests, watch. He ignores his discomfort and meets Dazai’s eyes with a questioning look.

Dazai slides him his phone showcasing the duplicate message.

“Well?” Atsushi asks, staring between the two of them. “What does it say?”

Chuuya tilts his head towards Dazai. “Go to Los Angeles with him.”

Atsushi gives him a pointed look, “Are you _sure_ you want to do that, Chuuya?”

“If I don’t do it, I fail. I’ll be out of the game.” He says with a sigh.

Atsushi hesitates before he speaks, “Yes I understand Chuuya, but don’t you think-”

Dazai clears his throat and slides out of the booth. “I uh, I’ll wait outside okay, shortie?” He looks over at the pair, “_Again_, it was nice to meet you Atsushi.” With that he’s off and Chuuya turns, watching as Dazai heads through the section and out the front door.

“Really?” Chuuya says when he turns back to face his friend. He’s a little annoyed at him. “You couldn’t just let me handle that?”

“Chuuya, you can’t blame me for being worried,” Atsushi says. Chuuya knows it’s supposed to be placating but it only annoys him further. “You’ve _just met_ this guy and this game is suspicious and-”

“This game is my responsibility,” Chuuya says, knocking his knuckles on the table. “I hear you, alright? I get it but if I _didn’t_ want to do it, I would have declined immediately, you know me better than that, Sushi.” 

He gets up and looks down at his friends' bright eyes, trying and failing to avoid Atsushi’s concerned look. Chuuya’s expression _softens_ and he presses both of his palms on the table’s surface.

“If I come to a point where I can’t do a dare, _trust me,_ you’ll be the first to know. Now I’m going to do this dare and I’ll text you when and exactly _where_ we stop.”

He doesn’t wait for a response, just turns and heads for the door. When he gets outside, he’s _surprised_ again to find Dazai’s waiting for him, leaning coolly against a car Chuuya’s only had the pleasure of seeing a few times before.

A classic 1967 Chevy Impala. It’s not in perfect condition, but it looks great for its age and Chuuya nods his head as he crosses the parking lot. 

“Nice ride.” He hums. Dazai pushes himself of the car at the sound of Chuuya’s voice, turning to the side to rest his hip against the door and stomping out a cigarette under his heel. 

“Oh~ thanks,” he rubs his hand along the back of his neck, “Sorry about bailing. Things looked like they were going to get heavy.”

“Nah, no worries,” Chuuya says, waving him off. “Atsushi just cares a lot.”

Dazai’s voice is teasing at Chuuya’s grumble. “Aw, poor Chuuya~” He smirks and stands up straighter. “But really, it's alright though. You have a good friend.”

Chuuya shakes his head and walks over to the passenger door. “Yeah, yeah. Are we gonna do this or what?”

Dazai takes out his phone, so Chuuya takes his out too and together they press _‘accept’._ This time they’ve got a solid 45 minutes on the timer. Chuuya knows they’re going to need every minute if they want to get to The Grove from here and luckily, so does Dazai.

He flashes Chuuya a quick and playful smile that _reminds_ him of a naughty boy as he jerked open his door. Chuuya does the same, sliding into the space next to Dazai as quickly as he can.

The inside of the car is clean and smooth; the leather seats are supple underneath his hands. He tries to suppress a shudder while buckling himself in, smelling cigarettes and lavender that Chuuya attributes to Dazai.

His slight _apprehension_ and nerves trickle back in, making Chuuya vibrate with energy. It’s excitement too, an infectious kind that worms its way through him and settles in his stomach.

Dazai feels it too. Chuuya can tell from the way he smirks at him and starts up the car, the engine firing up loudly in the otherwise silent parking lot.

“Are you ready?” Dazai asks, shifting the car into drive. 

Chuuya nods, settling into the seat. “Of course.”

** _To Be Continued…_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dazai is a mystery and Chuuya is in for a wild ride~
> 
> Comments, kudos and suggestions are really appreciated <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Atsushi is worried about his friend and Chuuya is busy fitting a suit, what could go wrong?
> 
> All credit goes to the creators of Nerve, Bungou Stray Dogs and @/shingekino_neon

Of all the things Atsushi expects from Chuuya, he can’t say that _this_ situation has ever been one of them.

Yet somewhere below the surface, he knows that in a way this is _exactly_ the sort of thing Chuuya would do. Taking care of Kyouka has always been at the core of everything he does. The familiarity does nothing to stop Atsushi from worrying of course, that Chuuya will wear himself out in the process.

Something like this is so out of the blue, so separated from his norm, he wonders whether or not Chuuya’s truly comfortable with it, or if he’s _just_ so good at compartmentalizing that it doesn’t even matter. 

Atsushi knows though, that Chuuya can take care of himself; if he were ever really in trouble, he would come to him or even his boss, Ichiyo. 

He glances sideways at Ichiyo where she goes in-and-out of the kitchen. He knows that he is probably too concerned for his friend and sighs, heading for the little bar section to take a breather. 

Ichiyo strides up to him after a few minutes, leveling Atsushi with a frown, “So Sushi,” she asks, handing him a cold soda, "What's wrong?”

Atsushi purses his lips thoughtfully. “Well…it turns out that Chuuya needs money and instead of asking us, he’s decided to play  a game. You earn money if you complete a dare and he just left with another Player.”

Ichiyo tilts her head. “That sounds interesting, does it seem _legit_ though?”

Atsushi takes a sip of his soda before speaking, “It seems like it _but_ I’m conflicted. This game he’s playing, it could either go  very well or very badly for him. You never know _exactly_ what these so-called dares hold in store.”

Ichiyo hums, tapping her chin thoughtfully, “Atsushi, did Chuuya say whether or not the game had a name?” 

“Yeah, it's called Nerve. Why? Do you know something?” Atsushi asks. 

The blonde woman shakes her head, "I don't think I've heard of it, but you're the science major Sushi. You can use the computer in my office real _quick_ and see if something pops up."

Atsushi is surprised that Ichiyo remembers his major, feeling a pleasant warmth envelop his spine at her motherly friendship. “I guess I can take a look, just to make sure Chuuya’s not in any real danger." 

"Yeah, I'll feel better too if you can find something," she smiles and throws away his empty can, "You go ahead Sushi, here's the keys to my office. Lock up when you're done." 

Ichiyo hands him the keys and he _thanks_ her before striding to her office, immediately getting to work. 

Twenty or more minutes of looking and Atsushi groans, rubbing at his eyes and feeling dissatisfaction clouding his mind. For all his experience on and around the internet, he's amassed that he's _actually struggling_ to find something. 

_'This is aggravating!'_ he thinks, unable to find anything related to Nerve except videos about people posting their dares, but nothing on the large and intricate scale. 

Atsushi has an inkling where he _might_ find more answers but it’s somewhere he's never dared to venture himself, considering the consequences if you get caught. Lucky for him, he does however know people with vast amounts of dark-web experience and besides, Ranpo and Edgar owes him a favour. 

“I’m not getting anything right away, but I have an idea. I have to get in touch with someone first.” Atsushi tells Ichiyo after leaving her office. 

“Oh alright,” She hums and then frowns at his obvious nervousness, "Atsushi, you're not gonna _follow_ Chuuya are you?" 

He purses his lips and nods, knowing it's not his best idea. Chuuya might be royally pissed if he thinks they don’t trust him but Atsushi would be lying if he said he’s _not_ worried. In fact his instincts are gnawing at him that something _sinister_ is going on. 

Ichiyo sighs, "Just be careful please, you _know_ how he gets. Call me when you have something," she says over her shoulder and goes back to the kitchen to prepare her next order. 

Atsushi waves goodbye as he exits the diner, he would rather go home and play on his XBox than to meet up with those two weirdos but…Chuuya is his friend, if not his _best_ friend and he'll try his best to look out for him while he can. 

* * *

“I can't believe you’re only nineteen. You’re like a fetus, an incredibly tall fetus that is.”

“Am not~” Dazai responds, his voice a mix of mock-outrage and amusement. “You know, a lot of people think I'm older because of my height. But you're a short-stack and you’re what? _Seventeen?_ You can’t talk, you were a baby like a minute ago.”

“Actually I'm twenty-one, asswipe,” Chuuya says, staring out at the passing buildings.

“What? Really? The shortie is actually older than me?” Dazai asks as he tries and _fails_ to make it around another bus before a line of cars speed past, effectively trapping him in.

“Yup. I'm older than you which means you need to treat me with respect. Let's start by losing that _shitty_ nicknames. I'm average height,” Chuuya retorts with a smirk, he doesn’t like it when people call him short but at least Dazai isn't a total ass about it. 

He wonders why Dazai only gave away his last name and not his full name, but he supposes that he can't blame the guy for not trusting a total stranger. 

Dazai chuckles but doesn’t answer, instead he asks, “How much time is left?”

“Thirteen minutes left," Chuuya says as he checks the time. 

“Ugh, I hate buses.” Dazai suddenly grits out, gripping at the steering wheel a bit harder than he should. 

Chuuya stays quiet, watching the shift of Dazai’s features under the passing city lights. The last thing he needs is to be distracted during this game and so it’s a little _frustrating_ to him how good looking Dazai is. 

It's decidedly more difficult **not** to focus on Dazai's oozing sex-god vibes. Even on this reasonably quick ride, Chuuya’s learned that Dazai has a way about him, one that  puts Chuuya at _ease_ and makes it a simple thing to forget what they’re actually doing. 

Like they’re just on a drive and getting to know each other is all they have to worry about.

“Aha!” Dazai grins and yells, the engine rumbling as he merges quickly to the left. Chuuya leans forward and spies the sign for The Grove with a victorious smile of his own. 

They’re cutting it close, but the shopping center is not far away now and Chuuya can practically feel the $200 in his hand. 

The same excitement from before weaves its way through him. _'This isn’t so bad',_ he thinks, clutching his phone. _'This isn’t so bad at all.' _

It's only a few minutes later that they arrive, Dazai slipping into a spot off to the side of the crowded lot. Chuuya waits for Dazai to reach for his own phone and together they confirm their arrival, waiting and watching as the yellow text changes with a buzz to congratulate their success.

Dazai’s laugh is _warm_ as he snaps his fingers and turns in his seat towards Chuuya. “Two-hundred dollars has been wired to your account. You got it too, right?” 

Chuuya holds up his phone in answer and Dazai’s smile grows deeper, his eyes crinkling with the pull of it. It’s infectious and Chuuya finds himself smiling back in the silence of the car. His cheeks are hot, something he hasn’t had to deal with for a long time.

It’s embarrassing, so he turns away, pushes the door open and hops out, shutting it tightly.

Behind him, he hears Dazai scramble in the car, hears the _clink_ of the seat-belt as it smacks against the interior and the creak of the door as Dazai whips it open.

Chuuya breathes in the fresh air, his face cooling while he listens as Dazai’s footsteps round the car.

“Chuuya, are you alright?" Dazai asks but gets interrupted by the buzz of the phone in his hand. Chuuya watches as Dazai reads it, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. 

“I...,” he says, trailing off and Chuuya realizes it must be another dare which probably means that Dazai will need to leave. “Nah, I'm fine.” 

Chuuya reaches across the space between them, holds out his hand to Dazai, who takes  it with a squeeze. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Sure thing, shortie~” Dazai says coyly, letting go. Dazai shakes the fringe out of his eyes and stares down at Chuuya and it looks as if he wants to say something, then stops himself. 

The brunette rocks back on his heels, swinging his arms at his sides and huffs out a laugh. “See ya around, I guess?”

Chuuya gives him a half smile, “I guess. Good luck Dazai.” Dazai nods, looking down at his phone again, then presses his thumb to the screen.

“You too, Chuu~ya,” He says, backing away. “Get home safe!” And then he’s off, streaking towards the crowded center, his long legs carrying him quickly out of Chuuya’s sight.

Now alone in the parking lot, Chuuya wonders what to do. Without a dare, he’s got _nowhere_ to be.

He could try to get home, he knows Atsushi would come get him if he called and asked. But the game brought him to Los Angeles. If he leaves, there’s a chance he might need to come back and there’s no guarantee he’ll return in time. 

He stares down at the car, taps his knuckles on the hood and thinks. Staying here is probably best, so with a last glance at the car, he heads for the shops. 

On the way, he scans his messages. There’s one from Kyouka, checking in to let him know she’s fine and at the party. He shoots her a response and slides his phone into his back pocket.

No sooner as he rounds a corner, his phone goes off again. The message on it is clear and to Chuuya, it appears the slightest bit alarming: **‘Go to Barney’s New York and try on this suit.'**

It’s followed by a picture of one of the nicest suits Chuuya has ever seen. He can tell it’s expensive, _probably_ costs more than he’d make in three months. 

But he’s clean enough and careful with shit that isn’t his and the $500 staring at him above the _‘accept’_ button is more than enough to sway him. 

He taps the button and the timer pops up  yet again, gracing him with a relatively short twenty minutes. He ignores it though, heading for the directory map where he finds the location he needs, then moves as fast as he can to Barney’s. 

He’s blocked here and there by groups of people, their shopping bags heavy with the weight of purchases far more expensive than anything he’s ever bought. 

Chuuya has to push past a few more people than he likes, simply because of his height and he earns a few shouts for his trouble. 

The Grove is much smaller than he remembers, so despite the hoard of people, the trip doesn’t take him longer than a few minutes and soon the storefront he’s looking for comes into view. 

The building is bright and modern, all clean Los Angeles lines and glittering, high-end goods.

Chuuya checks his phone, notes the sixteen minutes that glares up at him, neon yellow and _challenging._

He squares his shoulders confidently, heading for the door. He’s met with a few uncertain stares upon entering, sales-people who look at him as if he doesn’t belong, customers who stare like he’s got six heads. 

In his own black jeans and hoodie, he _knows_ he doesn’t look that much different than the other men he can see dotted around the store and his clothes are clean, so it must just be that he looks out of place, like he’s got an aura of _‘I don’t fucking know what I’m doing or why I’m here.’_

But he _does_ know what he's doing and so he scans the room, hoping to find someone who looks like they won’t bite his head off. His savior comes in the form of an older woman, with an adorable wrinkled face and soft eyes that don’t condemn him on sight.

He reads her nametag fast and looks up, flashing her a  charming smile. 

“Hi there, Susan,” he says with a wave. She smiles back, her green eyes are warm. 

“Why hello, how can I help you, sweetheart?” Chuuya holds out his phone, zooms in on the picture so the woman can see the suit more clearly.

“Could you tell me where I can find this suit?”

She nods, pointing her finger straight up to the ceiling. 

“Oh darling, you’d look so _handsome_ in that.” Susan pats his shoulder, turning him towards the escalator. “Upstairs, hon, down the hall to the right.”

“Thanks ma’am,” he says over his shoulder and jogs over to the escalator, taking two steps at a time as he dodges a couple of shoppers. 

He has nine minutes left. 

The room at the end of the hall feels like a smoker’s lounge when Chuuya enters. Along the walls are rows of shelves and cabinets, the deep brown wood diligently filled with shoes and accessories. 

Behind a velvet, tied back curtain, there’s a room lined with exactly what he wants.

He strides for the room, but stops when he feels a quick tap on his shoulder. A middle aged man with glasses and a salt-and-pepper beard comes around to stand in front of him.

“Can I _assist_ you with anything, sir?” he asks. 

Chuuya holds up his phone, bouncing on his heels as he sees the timer tick down from the side of the screen. 

The man straightens his glasses, peering at the picture of the suit. He turns, gesturing for Chuuya to follow and passes through into the room. 

“Right this way.” He looks Chuuya up and down, then heads over to a rack, lined with just the suit he needs. “It’s _unusual_ that we have something available in this size. Another customer ordered it recently, ended up going with navy instead. Which if I do say so myself, was a much _better_ choice,” he says with a kind smile, and holds the suit up to Chuuya. 

“You’re lucky though, this should fit you reasonably well.” The man gestures to one of two doors in the room, each in an opposite corner. “You can try it on in here.” 

Before he leaves, he points to the other side of the room, where a tall, three-fold mirror rests near the wall. “For when you need a look.”

Chuuya reaches out for the suit, taking it with a polite nod. 

“Thank you, you’ve been a big help sir.” He  shuffles quickly into the closest room and closes the door behind him, glancing down at his phone as he does. Six minutes left. 

The suit is even nicer in person than Chuuya expects it to be. It’s just the kind he would pick for himself, if he had the money or occasion to do so: solid black, with sharp lines and classic detailing along with a wine-red button up to go with it. 

Hanging up the suit, he pulls off his sneakers and tugs off his own jeans and hoodie, folds them lightly and lays them on the stool in the corner. From what he can tell, the old man was right: the suit fits him almost perfectly. 

The jacket is the _slightest_ bit too long, but it's good  enough for him; it skims his torso nicely with pants that hug the lean muscles of his legs. 

His phone vibrates on top of his jeans, the timer reading four minutes left. Chuuya wants to use the mirror in the room outside to get a full body shot and if he’s right that should be enough to satisfy the dare and get him the $500. 

Opening the door, he brings up Nerve on his  phone and notices a small video camera icon below the picture. 

He walks to the mirror with his head down; he doesn’t see the other person standing directly in front of said mirror until it is too late and he’s _colliding_ with someone tall and lean and then they’re shifting forward. 

The other person is catching them both before they topple the mirror, hands marking its  spotless surface as Chuuya falls against them, his hips pressing into the stranger’s ass. 

“Hey watch it dumbass! _Uh?_ Chuuya?” the person snaps. 

Chuuya thinks it must be some weird trick of fate that it’s a familiar head of shaggy brown hair that twists to look at him in the mirror. He pushes himself back, giving Dazai and himself some space.

“Dazai.” Chuuya exhales sharply, annoyed with himself. “Sorry, I wasn’t looking.” He notices the phone clutched in Dazai’s hand, then _really_ looks at the brunette as he turns around and notices that he’s also wearing a suit. 

_ 'Another shared dare'_, Chuuya thinks, _'What the fuck is that about?' _

“That’s okay!” Dazai says, straightening the hem of his jacket. The suit he’s wearing is cut very well, a nude-and-gold jacket with a slim cut silhouette, charcoal dress shirt and black tapered pants that accentuate a fit and lean lower body. 

It fits Dazai like it was practicaly _made_ for him. Either way, Chuuya isn’t complaining; Dazai is more than pleasing on the eyes. 

He hears a phone buzz and he watches as Dazai answers and  winces slightly.

“Shit, gimme a sec? I just have to get this dare done.” Dazai turns back towards the three-way mirror.

Chuuya shifts his weight to his right leg, one hand on his hip as he catches Dazai’s eyes in the reflective surface. 

“I _think_ we have the same dare. Again.” He says and checks his phone: two minutes left.

Dazai smiles at him in the mirror, smoothes down his lapel with a quirk of the head.  “Yeah?” 

Chuuya scoffs because _clearly_ Dazai’s enjoying this and really, maybe he is too. Things definitely could be worse. 

Chuuya takes a few steps towards him, holding out his hand. “Yeah,” he says and gestures at Dazai’s phone. “Here. I’ve got two minutes left. I’ll get a shot of you and we’ll switch off.” 

Dazai’s smile widens and he twists back to give Chuuya his phone. “Cool, thanks!”

Chuuya nods, taking the phone and a few steps back. He sees that Dazai has a little less time than him as he clicks on the video camera icon and he’s suddenly _glad_ Dazai took as long as he did while changing. Any faster and they might have missed one another. 

He turns the phone sideways, holding it up as  the screen switches to an open recording. In it, he can see Dazai posing quick and _dramatic_ in the mirror: a little ‘strong arms’, a smolder over his shoulder, something that Chuuya knows from exposure to Kyouka is called a ‘dab’. 

Dazai looks _ridiculous,_ until he slows down and his poses become more effortless, small motions that highlight the way the suit showcases his assets. 

Chuuya thinks _‘damn'_ at one particular turn, blushing as he realizes he actually said it out loud and Dazai winks at him in the mirror. Then Dazai’s phone vibrates, the _**‘dare complete’**_ text popping up and the moment is over. 

He heads toward Chuuya with a crooked smile.  “Thanks! Alright here,” He takes both their phones out of Chuuya’s hand and his smile turns apologetic as he notices that Chuuya’s timer has fallen to under a minute. 

“I'm sorry I took so long~” he starts, but Chuuya waves  him off, walking over to the mirror.

“Just get on with it.” Chuuya sees Dazai nod through his own reflection, watches him hold up the phone just as just he had.

“Okay,” Dazai says, licking his lips, “Pose for me Chuu~ya!” And Chuuya can’t stop the upward shoot of his eyebrows nor the surprised smirk that pulls at his mouth. The sexy bastard is bold, he’ll give him that.

He doesn’t answer Dazai, just starts to move in slight, subtle motions that Chuuya _knows_ work well for his build. He can feel Dazai staring at him, not just for the sake of the dare but **_really_** looking at him.

When Chuuya lifts his gaze, he finds that Dazai’s eyes are boring into him, _hungry_ and bright. It’s been a while since someone’s look made him feel the way Dazai’s does: _warm_ and distracted and out of his element. 

His focus slips as red threatens his slightly tanned skin. He settles into a simple stance, facing Dazai with his hands clasped in front of him - his jaw clenched and nostrils flared as he fights the desire to squirm under the other’s gaze.

He doesn’t know how long he stays that way, pinned by Dazai’s eyes but at some point the dare must be satisfied because Dazai’s looking away from him and the _‘kaching’_ sounds from his phone. Relief and excitement floods Chuuya like a Pavlovian response.

“And done! Congrats shortie, you got $500 in the bank.” Dazai hands Chuuya the phone, holding his other hand up for a high five, which Chuuya returns with a small smile. 

It feels good to have another dare under his belt.

He tightens his grip on his phone, crossing his arms and looks up at Dazai. The brunette rubs at the back of his neck, his auburn eyes look soft and happy. “Well this was fun, unexpected  but fun. I _kinda_ feel like I shouldn’t say goodbye to you.”

Chuuya huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, I hear you. I think the Watchers are up to something.”

“Could be~” Dazai says, shrugging his shoulders with a laugh of his own. “They certainly seem to like us together.”

Chuuya hums in agreement. With the way things are going, the potential of them being in the same place again does seem high. To Chuuya at least, that’s not such a _bad_ thing. 

He tosses a look back at his fitting room and hears Dazai speak up behind him. “You good?”

Chuuya purses his lips, an idea forming. “What are you doing after this?”

“Until I get a dare? Nothing, why?”

“I don’t have anywhere to go right now. If the Watchers _really_ are looking to pair us up, it might be better to stay together?” He makes it sound like a question, he doesn’t want to force Dazai into anything, though something tells Chuuya it’s a non-issue. 

Dazai’s mouth spills into a grin, something like _relief_ flying across his expression and Chuuya realizes that he has nothing to worry about. It _sparks_ something inside of him and the hesitant warmth he’s been feeling in his chest since their kiss, flares up like a wildfire. 

He returns Dazai’s grin with a small, inevitable smile of his own. 

“Yeah,” Dazai says, backing up and nearly tripping over an ottoman. 

He looks like an excited puppy and Chuuya shakes his head, the corners of his mouth twitching with the effort _not_ to smile wider. The brunette is sexy AND cute and _awkward_ and-and he coughs, righting himself from his slippery thoughts.

Dazai holds Chuuya’s gaze the entire time, “Just let me get changed~”

Chuuya nods and waves in acknowledgment, already turning towards his own fitting room. He steps inside, slipping the jacket off first and then the pants. He doesn’t notice anything wrong, thoughtless in the act of undressing, _until_ he hears a knock at the door and opens it to see Dazai shirtless, wearing nothing but the black dress pants and his socks and...bandages? 

There's a series of bandages covering both of Dazai's arms. And Chuuya notices quickly that the brunette is a lot thinner than he _initially_ thought, Dazai is practically nothing but skin and a bit of muscle wrapped around a skeleton. 

Chuuya scowls, confusion and worry gnawing at him. “Do you need help getting dressed or something?” he jokes instead. 

“What? As if,” Dazai says, shaking his hands. “Do you have your clothes?” Chuuya stares at him, incredulous.

“Of course I have my clothes, they’re right-” and Chuuya turns to see that he is wrong, he does not, in fact, have any of his clothes. The stool where he put them is empty; the only things left behind are his sneakers. 

“Fuck.” He curses. 

“Yeah, fuck.” Dazai grins as Chuuya clenches his fist, feeling the bottom of his stomach drop out as he stands there. If his next dare is to steal this suit, he’s done. He’s never stolen anything in his life and he’s not going to start now. 

_Thankfully,_ Dazai seems to be thinking the same thing. “I’m not stealing this suit right now,” he says, crossing his arms. 

Chuuya ignores the_ 'right now'_ part of that sentence and nods, feeling frustrated.  “Did you see anyone take our stuff?” he asks. 

“No,” Dazai responds, quickly throwing up his arms and Chuuya sees the tips of his ears turn red. “I was a little distracted.” 

Dazai's auburn eyes are raking in Chuuya’s own half-naked form, Chuuya’s black boxer briefs showing slightly beneath the ends of the wine-red button up. 

Chuuya clears his throat and snap his fingers at the brunette, “Focus Dazai.”

“Aw~ But Chuu~ya is such a nice distraction," Dazai chirps and Chuuya rolls his eyes, feeling his stomach do a double-take, "I do have an idea what we can do,” Dazai supplies with a smirk, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth. 

“But I’m not sure you’re gonna like it, shortie~”

Chuuya leans against the doorway to his fitting room and folds one arm over the other, a sense of apprehension floods into his system, “What is your idea?” he asks and Dazai grins at him in a wickedly playful way. 

_ 'Oh no,'  _

_ **To Be Continued… ** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dazai is sassy and also very shady, Chuuya is so cute. Please leave me kudos and comments, I appreciate them <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Atsushi's worry increase so he brings in the big guns, Chuuya steals a kiss and Ranpo is like an energetic bunny. Enjoy~
> 
> Additional Warnings for: nudity, light swearing, boys kissing and daredevil behavior.

In hindsight, Chuuya should have expected something like this. _Maybe_ he’s just been focused on his responsibilities for so long that he forgot what it was like to be young and reckless. Either way, he should have expected to be a part of a game of dares.

While it’s not a dare in itself, it’s a side effect of their previous dare, bringing him to where he is now: standing huddled behind a mostly naked Dazai in only his boxer briefs and sneakers and he wants to kick himself for being so damn nervous about it.

_ 'I also did dumb shit when I was a teenager __and I have a good body, Dazai too, so really the only thing that we have to worry about is getting out of here without anyone calling the cops.'_ Chuuya thinks nervously, _'And finding clothes afterwards.'_

“Alright,” Dazai whispers, reaching back to tap at Chuuya’s arm, his fingers warm against Chuuya’s cool skin. “The coast is clear.”

_'For now',_ Chuuya chuckles to himself, _'Until we get downstairs and scandalize the masses.'_

There’s nothing he can do about it now though, so together they creep down the hallway. Dazai hums to himself, some tune that suspiciously sounds like a spy movie that has Chuuya reaching up to pinch at the brunette's back.

“Dazai,” he hisses, but can’t stop the thread of amusement that weaves into the name as Dazai dodges away from him. He doesn’t answer, but Chuuya can see the upward pull of his cheek and just knows he’s wearing a shit-eating grin.

They come to a stop where the hallway branches out into the second floor landing, the escalator a good twenty feet away. “Damn.”

“S’not that bad.” Dazai whispers back.

“Ugh,” Chuuya groans and he can see groups of people milling about. Some of the people when he first entered are still there and he’s surprised to find the old woman Susan speaking with the man who helped him find his suit.

For whatever reason, he has a feeling those two will be the least bothered by what’s about to happen.

And it _does_ happen, faster than he expects. One minute he’s taking a deep breath and the next Dazai is grabbing his hand, running for the escalator as he tugs Chuuya along behind him. Dazai laughs, jumping onto the top step while still keeping hold of Chuuya’s hand.

They move quickly, hustling down the steps and towards the front entrance and Chuuya’s heart is slamming in his chest, it feels ridiculous.

Susan winks at him and the old man smiles. There’s a few _‘oh my gods’_ and _‘what the __fucks’,_ but it’s not so bad. He exhales a laugh as Dazai bursts through the door with an excited shout.

They don’t stop when Chuuya thinks they will, continuing at a jog around the corner to the parking lot, relief flooding him at the sight of Dazai's car dead ahead.

“I kinda can’t _believe_ we just did that.” Dazai says and lets go of Chuuya to rest his hands on his knees, breathing hard.

“It was _your_ idea,” Chuuya replies with a smirk, his own heart rate slowing as he sits back against the hood of the car.

It’s cool outside and he rubs at his arms as he drops his head back and stares up at the dark sky. He hears rather than sees Dazai stand up, feels warm skin press against his own as the brunette runs his hand along Chuuya’s forearm.

“You’re cold. Hold on, I have a jacket in the car.” Chuuya nods his thanks, but keeps his eyes on the few stars that are visible in Los Angeles at night. It’s nice and quiet and it does wonders to calm Chuuya’s nerves.

Dazai’s disbelieving voice breaks the relative silence. “Chuuya, guess what? The suits are here~”

He pushes himself off of the car and turns towards the passenger side where Dazai stands, _surprise_ and confusion coloring his features. Chuuya peers in through the open window, sees the Barneys New York bag settled on the front seat.

His voice is resigned as he speaks. “Our clothes aren’t in there, are they?” He thinks he already knows the answer, but he asks anyway.

Either Dazai doesn’t know or he’s doing it for Chuuya’s benefit, because he leans through the window and digs into the bag. He pulls back with a shake of his head and Chuuya purses his lips.

It’s almost impossible for the suits to be there. After they’d realized their clothes were gone they’d hung them back up on a rack and hid to discuss their plan, leaving all of five minutes for someone to come in and - _(Chuuya leans forward, sees the edge of a receipt curled above Dazai’s suit jacket and sags with relief)_ \- **buy** the suits and get them to the car.

Yet here they are. He still has no fucking clue where his clothes are and that pisses him off, but at least he won’t be half _naked_ for the rest of the night.

They get dressed quickly, Chuuya quietly mourning as Dazai tugs on his pants and buttons up his shirt, the pale and lean glow of the brunette's skin vanishing from sight. It’s the last thought that should be on his mind tonight, but Chuuya can’t ignore the pull he feels towards Dazai; he knows the brunette has been sneaking his fair share of peeks too.

Dazai’s already fully dressed by the time Chuuya gets his pants buttoned and he leans against the car, amber eyes trained on Chuuya. Chuuya scoffs. Peeking is an _understatement_, Dazai is a little shameless with his ogling.

Chuuya meets his gaze, voice teasing. “You’re not very subtle.”

“I didn’t mean to be.” Dazai huffs with a smirk, winking at Chuuya playfully.

The smile that tugs at Chuuya’s lips is genuine and he opens his mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by the familiar chime of his phone from where it rests on the roof of the car.

It’s Kyouka checking in, the text relaying that she’s having a good time and not to worry. He feels better that he doesn’t have to be concerned about her right now, that he can focus on finishing this game before she even has to know something’s up.

Chuuya pockets his phone and finishes getting dressed, tucking the dark jacket over the wine-red shirt. He feels like a million dollars right now and it's kinda nice.

“So,” Dazai says, lounging back against the door. He levels Chuuya with an expectant look. “What do you wanna do now, shortie?”

* * *

Atsushi actually met Ranpo and Edgar through his college classes, the pair often interning at the college.

Atsushi likes them although they are _weird _sometimes, he finds them funny and knowledgeable, if not a bit scatter-brained.

Atsushi dials Ranpo’s number and the raven picks up on the third ring.

He smiles at the familiar enthusiasm of the raven’s voice, _“Edgar, I’m fine. They won’t even know I was there, oh Atsushi! Hello! Sorry I was talking to Poe,”_ Ranpo’s voice turns indignant.

_“Poe worries too much, he never wants me to do anything fun.”_

Atsushi holds back a laugh, his shoulders shaking slightly. He can practically hear the pout on Ranpo’s face, _“Edgar, please~”_ he trails off before the raven pulls the phone back and starts to speak.

There's shuffling on the other end before Atsushi hear Poe shouting 'no' in the background, Ranpo grunts in retaliation.

_“Anyway, what can I do for you, Sushi? Have you got anything fun for me?”_ Ranpo asks.

“I do, actually. It might not help with Mobility breakdown, but it’s nothing too crazy. Just a little investigation.” Atsushi retorts.

_“The Great Detective Ranpo is at your service.” _Atsushi smiles and taps at the side of his take-away cup of hot chocolate.

“It’s for a game called Nerve. I tried searching some things on my end _but_ nothing came up. Is there any chance you’ve heard about it?”

Ranpo whistles low on the other end of the call, _“I have. All hush-hush in the dark, so it makes sense you haven’t been able to find anything. It’s supposed to be quite a ride from what I’ve heard in passing.”_

Unease settles in Atsushi’s stomach, his general worry increasing with more unknowns. “A dangerous ride?”

Ranpo laughs. _“I hope so! What’s the point in a game of dares if there’s not a little danger?”_

“I’m asking because a friend of mine is playing. He left with some random guy a little while ago, and I have no idea whether it was just a risky decision or a very bad one.”

Ranpo doesn’t miss a beat and the raven's voice is much calmer as he listens to what Atsushi is telling him. _“I’ll look into it right now, okay? We’ll find out just what your friend got himself into.”_

Atsushi exhales, appreciative. “Thank you, Ranpo. I’m just walking around so I might be up and about but the second you’ve found some more information, please call.”

_ “Of course! No worries, Sushi~"_ Ranpo chirps.

Atsushi shakes his head with a smile, holding the phone. “Bye, Ranpo,” he says amused and hangs up.

There’s nothing for him to do now, except following Chuuya around to make sure he's ok. That is, if can actually find him.

* * *

What Chuuya and Dazai _want_ to do and what they _end_ up doing are two very different things, though the outcome is thankfully the same: they get to stay together.

They’re five minutes out of the parking lot when their phones go off, the energy in the car _tensing_ with the possibility of separating until they show each other their phones and together realize that they’ve received the same dare again, sonthe tension in the car dissipates.

It’s how they find themselves together again, relieved and hiking up the side of a hill to get to the Hollywood Sign of all the things. The dare is simple in theory: take a selfie on the Sign, a fast in and out that’ll net them both another $500.

In reality there’s nothing simple about it. For one thing, it’s illegal to climb and it could get them arrested if they’re not careful and quick. Their second problem is figuring out how to actually climb the fucking thing.

“There _might_ be a ladder, otherwise Chuu~ya can use my shoulders,” Dazai suggests with a chuckle.

Chuuya doesn’t know, but Dazai is so sure there’s a damn ladder that he actually bets some of his dare money and Chuuya doesn’t remind him he has to win for there to be any dare money in the first place. The idiot.

“There might, _otherwise_ I am going to use you as a ladder,” Chuuya says and grins.

Dazai’s walking backwards up the hill, his face illuminated by the glow of his phone. “I think Chuu~ya have no faith that there _actually_ is a ladder.”

Chuuya laughs to himself, shaking his head. “I think you’re fixated on this fucking ladder.”

Dazai looks at him thoughtfully. “But I guess you could just climb me instead, I won't mind~” He says it with a straight face, makes it sound like a _legitimate_ solution and Chuuya nearly trips over a rock at his tone: honest and laced with heat.

He’s glad it’s dark out, otherwise the red he can feel on his cheeks would be embarrassingly obvious. He still doesn’t understand how Dazai can be adorable and goofy while being unabashedly forward, yet here he is giving Chuuya what amounts to mental whiplash.

When Chuuya doesn’t answer, Dazai stops him with both hands on his shoulders and a worried expression. “Hey~ uhm, I’m _sorry_ if that made you uncomfortable. I’ll back off.”

Chuuya’s lips twitch with slight amusement. He shouldn’t find Dazai’s worry cute but he does. He reaches up and flicks Dazai on his nose. “You’re fine, Dazai. If I didn’t like it, you’d know it.”

Dazai grins and nods. He takes Chuuya’s hand in his and turns away, his phone lighting the ground in front of him. “Come on, we’re almost there, shortie~”

_‘Almost there’_ turns out to just be an excuse for Dazai to hold his hand, not that Chuuya is complaining.

Dazai tugs him along for another five minutes, up and over the rough ground to avoid the police patrol at the top, before they get to the actual sign. It’s much taller and flatter than it looks and Chuuya wonders for a second how exactly they’ll be able to get a selfie on the sign.

Then he sees that the backs of the letters are supported by a grid of steel bars that remind him of jungle gyms and suddenly it doesn’t seem so daunting.

Dazai nudges him with his shoulder. “Okay so there’s not an actual ladder, but the bars count right? They’re kinda like a ladder.”

“No, but I guess it has to do,” Chuuya says, voice deliberately short. It does nothing to hide the amused pull of his features under the phone’s light and Dazai’s smile is satisfied.

Chuuya checks his phone as Dazai moves towards the ‘H’. They’ve got a little _less_ than ten minutes left out of a generous fifty and Chuuya wants to thank whoever gave them this dare for considering the hell that is Los Angeles traffic.

When he looks up, Dazai is already climbing up onto the bottom run of the scaffolding, his long legs pushing him up to sit on the second bar. He doesn’t look back as he calls out, “You coming or what?”

It takes him a minute but Chuuya manages to haul himself up too, settling next to Dazai with his arms and legs dangling in front of him. Dazai mirrors his pose, resting his elbows on the bar, his phone held tightly in his hand.

“Okay Chuuya, you first this time.” Dazai holds both hands out, waiting to switch phones and Chuuya pauses just long enough to issue a half-threat before he takes Dazai’s and hands his over.

“You drop _this_ and I drop _you.”_ Chuuya retorts warningly.

Dazai nods, his eyes serious as he gingerly takes the phone, then they turn mischievous as he fakes like he’s about to drop it and nearly gives Chuuya a heart attack.

Chuuya freezes in place, exhaling hard as he watches Dazai tap away at his phone, familiar neon text popping up on the screen.

“Oi, you shitty basted,” Chuuya mutters and Dazai’s smile is teasing, the tip of his tongue caught between his teeth.

“And 3, 2, 1…now, smile Chuuya!” He holds the phone out with his left arm so that it pans out, captures the far end of the sign and comes back, settling beside Chuuya, who gives the camera a half-hearted smile and a wave.

When the dare is complete and the _‘kaching’_ sounds off, they switch to Dazai’s phone. He’s much more charismatic than Chuuya is when it comes to his Watchers, giving the camera a wink and a winning smile before satisfying his task with five minutes to spare.

Chuuya hasn’t really given the Watchers much consideration tonight; probably not the smartest thing, since his status in the game pretty much depends on their continued support.

He doesn’t even _know_ how many Watchers he has, only that they seem to enjoy pairing Dazai and him up. He feels like thanking them for that particular strategy.

Free for the moment, they unwind against the bars. It’s getting cooler, the breeze stronger up on the mountainside and Chuuya swears at himself for not thinking to bring the suit jacket with him.

He shivers slightly and goosebumps pebble his arms, clearly visible in the light cast from the sign’s spotlights.

He feels Dazai shift next to him, then the warm press of skin against his own as the brunette settles closer on the bar. Chuuya _hums_ contentedly in response and rests his chin on his fist, his other arm stretched out, hand limp in relaxation. Dazai brushes his hand along the back of Chuuya’s but doesn’t push for more.

The silence is comfortable and together they look out over the city, sprawling bright and alive beneath them. Chuuya’s only been to the city a handful of times. It’s too chaotic, too dirty, too much for him in general, but he can’t deny that it’s beautiful, at least from _waaaay_ up here.

“So Chuuya,” Dazai says, tapping the tips of his fingers softly against the back of Chuuya’s hand. His voice is curious and low, like he’s pushing himself to do something he’s unsure of.

Chuuya has a feeling he knows what’s coming, but keeps silent to let Dazai continue. “Why’d you decide to play?”

Chuuya huffs out a laugh, biting at the inside of his cheek. _'Called it',_ he thinks and straightens up, sticks out his fist and opens it to move in soft waves against the wind.

He doesn’t usually like telling people about himself, he has no real desire or need to.

The only people who know his story are his friends and that’s really all he can be bothered with. But there's something about Dazai, a pull that has him opening his mouth despite the fact that he’s known the brunette for all of a few hours.

“It’s just me and my sister. I make enough to keep us in the green, but the assholes who took over our apartment complex jacked the rent up and brought in new companies for utilities. I have already bothered my friends for help once or twice and I _won’t_ do that again.” He shrugs his shoulders.

Chuuya waves his hand through the air flippantly, “Basically, I needed fast cash and I heard about this game, so here I am.”

“How old is your sister?” Dazai asks gently.

“She’s seventeen. She's a high school senior and a total pain in my ass .” Even as he says it he knows how full of shit he sounds and he smiles in spite of himself. Dazai smiles too, nodding as he kicks his legs out.

“I _bet_ she says the same about her older brother,” Dazai jokes.

“Pfff, yeah probably,” He whacks Dazai’s hand and the last thing he expects is for Dazai to grab his and lace their fingers loosely together. Chuuya decides that holding hands with Dazai is something he likes very much.

He gives the brunette’s fingers a light squeeze in return. “What about you?”

Dazai’s face drops for a fraction of a second, the ghost of something Chuuya can’t pinpoint passing over his features. Then as quickly as it came, it’s gone and his expression settles into something softer, though he still _doesn’t_ meet Chuuya’s eyes.

“Same thing, family reasons.” He pulls his bottom lip in between his teeth.

Chuuya follows the path of Dazai’s thoughtful gaze to where their hands meet. He can tell there’s something _deeper_ there, but he of all people knows better than to push.

Instead, Chuuya taps at Dazai’s calf with his foot and gives a toss of his head. “Come on Dazai, I’m cold.” He pulls his fingers free gently, so that Dazai doesn’t think he’s suddenly not okay with the direction they’re heading and  
climbs down from the bars.

Dazai follows slowly, rolling his shoulders as he comes to stand next to Chuuya. Just like he did on the way up, Chuuya lets Dazai take his hand and lead him down the mountainside, guided by the light of their phones.

The trek down is quicker than the hike up and by the time they get to the car, Chuuya is much warmer than before. There’s no one in the dirt lot where they parked, the Impala is the only thing settled in the empty space.

Chuuya turns the flashlight off on his phone. He doesn’t have to waste his battery now that they’re at the bottom of the mountain, the light from nearby stores are enough to see what he needs to.

Dazai runs ahead of him, reaches the car first and begins rummaging around in the back seat.

Chuuya gets there a few seconds later to see Dazai standing with a black leather jacket in his hands and an easy smile gracing his lips. Chuuya takes it with a quick _‘thank you’_ and hops up to sit on the hood of the car.

Dazai sits next to him, leaning back on his palms as he looks up to the darkened sky. Suddenly Chuuya remembers that he had a question to ask him. “Hey Dazai?”

The brunette hums with acknowledgement and Chuuya plays with his phone, turning it over in his hands. “How many Watchers do you have?”

Dazai doesn’t look at him, just keeps his face pointed up to the sky. “Uhm, last time I looked I was at ten thousand.”

“You’re _shitting_ me.” Chuuya doesn’t really know if that’s good in terms of Nerve, but it certainly feels like a lot to him.

“No, why? How many do you have?”

“I don’t know. I never looked,” he says, shrugging.

Dazai turns around quickly so that he stands right in front of Chuuya, his eyes wide in surprise. “Now _you’re_ shitting me. You don’t know how many followers you have? This game is all about the Watchers, Chuuya.”

“I know that,” he says, indignant. Dazai holds back a laugh, taps his fingers on Chuuya’s knee and takes out his phone.

“Here,” Dazai murmurs, turning the screen so that they can both see it.

He opens Nerve quickly; he shows Chuuya what to press and when the list of top Players pops up on the screen, Chuuya is _shocked_ to see his name near the top with 7,200 Watchers, a few places below the current leader.

He smirks at that. Considering how little he’s paid attention to the mechanics of the game, he’s done pretty damn well for himself so far and that’s only with a few dares under his belt.

“You’re climbing pretty fast for someone who only just started~”

“That’s because I’m awesome,” Chuuya says, his tone a matter-of-fact tease. He rests his elbows on his knees and places his head in his hands.

Curiously he asks, “Which one are you? I didn’t see any Dazai on the leaderboard.” He hadn’t, Chuuya had seen a Fyodor and a Snow among others, but no Dazai.

“Oh!” Dazai says with a lopsided smile, “I’m Rogue.” He rubs at the back of his neck, his smile embarrassed as Chuuya quirks an eyebrow. “I thought it was cooler and more _mysterious_ than Dazai.”

“There’s nothing mysterious about you,” Chuuya chuckles.

_'Gorgeous and goofy',_ he thinks, _'But Dazai is too earnest to be any kind of a mystery.'_

Dazai tries and fails to scowl at him, but he can’t straighten out the amused purse of his lips. Chuuya spares him a response. He remembers seeing that name up towards the top, right below the leader, Fyodor.

Suddenly Chuuya realizes how quickly his own pool of Watchers has grown and if he’s right, it’s most likely because of Dazai. “How long ago did you start playing?”

“A few days,” Dazai answers and Chuuya nods. Probably the same time as Kyouka.

Then Dazai teases, “You’re welcome, by the way. For the Watchers~”

And Chuuya shrugs his shoulders because yeah, he probably should be thanking him for the exposure, _but_ messing with him is so much more fun. “Are you saying I couldn’t have gained those Watchers by myself? That I’m not _likeable_ enough or something?”

Chuuya manages to keep his voice sounding a nice mix of hurt and angry, but just barely. Even he would laugh in his own face if he could.

Dazai sputters, opens his mouth to speak but Chuuya cuts him off, his tone more obviously teasing. “I think you should be thanking me for some of your Watchers actually. I was the one who picked you for my kiss-dare after all.”

“That’s true,” Dazai concedes. “I can’t say I expected this,” he gestures between himself and Chuuya, “to go any further than that.”

“I didn’t expect _any_ of this.” There’s an annoying duality to today that makes Chuuya crazy, like nothing and everything has happened in the few short hours since he’s started.

Dazai is the most unexpected out of everything and really, Chuuya shouldn’t give a damn about what happens to Dazai.

He _should_ be trying to win this game and leave the brunette in the dust, should use the boost that this random partnership has given him to get what he needs. But then Dazai just has to go and open his mouth and any surging conviction he feels slips out of his grasp.

“It’s a good unexpected though, right?” Dazai’s voice is soft and earnest and fucking hopeful, and Chuuya wants to die a little bit because this is a complication.

He could fight it, fight the rising feelings that make him simultaneously nauseous and excited, but he’d be a bold-faced liar if he said he completely wanted to.

_Especially_ not when Dazai is looking at him like that. He reaches out and lightly punches Dazai’s chest, feels the hard bone and muscle beneath his knuckles and gives the brunette a soft push.

“I’m still debating that.” He tries to make it sound even, to mask the growing _fondness_ in his tone whenever he speaks to Dazai, but he can hear it and so can Dazai as he stands in front of him.

They stare at each other, blue eyes meeting auburn in what light reaches them at the car and Dazai smiles knowingly, like the cat that got the fucking canary. He steps closer, his stomach pressing against Chuuya’s knees while his fists rest on top of them.

“I think,” he says, low and teasing, “that the Watchers aren’t the _only_ ones who like us together.”

Chuuya leans back in surprise, placing his weight on his hands, the cool metal of the car a stark contrast to how hot he suddenly feels. Being with Dazai is like having whiplash and not for the first time tonight, he’s reminded what it’s like to be younger and feel so many things at once.

“You sound pretty sure of that.” Though he doesn’t back up, a flicker of _hesitation_ crosses Dazai’s face, as if he’s afraid he just completely misread the situation and is about to make a big mistake.

Suddenly the air feels heavy and Chuuya immediately curses himself for fucking up the moment. He wants to fix it, he wants to make a move, perhaps to sit up and make Dazai realize that it’s okay. They may not know each other very well, but he’s okay, this is all okay.

Dazai does it for him. He screws up his courage again and leans down, shifting his hands to either side of Chuuya’s hips. He licks his lips and stares at Chuuya with determined eyes, his voice steady and decidedly more suggestive than before. “I am.”

Before Chuuya can respond, before he even has the chance to react, Dazai’s closing the distance between them, his lips pressing a chaste yet _challenging_ kiss against Chuuya’s own. He pulls away, settling a few inches back and searches Chuuya’s eyes.

Fortunately for him, Chuuya takes the bait, responds in a way that feels as natural as breathing as he takes Dazai’s face in his hands, pulling them back together.

Chuuya has been kissed before. Good kisses and _bad_ kisses, not many, but enough to be a decent judge. In all of those experiences, none ever felt quite as good as the two kisses he’s shared with Dazai.

He doesn’t know if it’s the excitement of the dares going to his head or his growing feelings towards the brunette making things feel all peachy and shit, but whatever it is, he’ll take it.

Dazai is strong and _excitable_ and so fucking enthusiastic with his kissing, Chuuya’s just happy to be along for the ride. Their lips meet many times over, soft and wet in the relative darkness of the lot.

Dazai’s leaning into Chuuya more with each second, he is _practically_ on top of him, his knees resting on the bumper next to Chuuya’s feet.

Chuuya’s bending so far backwards he feels like he’s going to snap, so he thinks fuck it and falls back against the car’s hood, tugging Dazai with him.

It feels like a teenage cliche, kissing your crush underneath the stars, but for once, Chuuya finds that he doesn’t really give a shit about all that. He can hit pause on everything that isn’t the feel of Dazai’s body pressing down on his own.

Dazai breaks the kiss, teeth pulling at Chuuya’s bottom lip and then runs his tongue along the same spot. Chuuya tilts his head back, his eyes closed as Dazai mouths his way across his jaw and down to his neck. He sucks at the pulsepoint there, makes Chuuya thrust his hips up in an _embarrassingly_ automatic way and Chuuya curses out loud as he feels Dazai smile against his skin.

Then in the midst of everything, Chuuya feels something vibrate somewhere between them.

He’s so caught up in the sensation that his first thought is _‘where the fuck did he get a vibrator?',_ followed immediately by the realization that _no,_ Dazai did not pull a random vibrator out of his ass, it’s a fucking phone and who in the shit thought it was a good idea to interrupt them right now of all fucking times?

Dazai rises and drops his forehead against Chuuya’s with a groan. “I don't want to answer that.”

Chuuya grunts in agreement, but taps Dazai’s shoulder to get him up and moving, _mourning_ the loss of heat as Dazai slips reluctantly off of him.

“It could be a dare,” Chuuya suggests. At the moment he’d rather spend his time kissing Dazai than doing anything else, but they are Players first and foremost; what he wants will have to wait.

Dazai nods, pulling his phone out and his eyebrows fly up in shock as his eyes scan the screen. Chuuya straightens his dress shirt, quirking his head in question.

Dazai tries and fails to keep his smile from stretching into a grin. “This one is wild. I’m not so sure you’ll want to do it with me.” He turns the phone towards Chuuya and what he sees there genuinely surprises him.

**Hop on the 101 towards the city center and get to 110 mph - $10,000.**

Dazai is right, it’s fucking reckless. People do it every day; speed like assholes on the highway and get away with it and Chuuya won’t lie, he _likes_ a fast drive himself, but that’s dangerous and he’s not sure he’s willing to fuck with his life.

At least until his own phone buzzes with a similar offer.

He jumps off of the car and unlocks his phone, Nerve’s message glaring up at him. He points the device at Dazai, shaking it.

Dazai’s grin _widens_ as he reads the text. “Go for a drive with him. $10,000. These Watchers, shortie. They just want what they want.”

It’s a fuck ton of money. _More_ than Chuuya ever expected to see in this game and more than enough to keep him and Kyouka in the green for a while. He could focus on classes and not kill himself at work, at least for a little bit. He could actually breathe with money like that.

Dazai gives him a nudge. “Come on, Chuu~ya,” he says playfully, “I’m a good driver. I won’t let _anything_ happen to you.” He runs a hand up Chuuya’s side, his voice melting into a tease. “I like going fast. Don’t you?”

_ 'This fucking bandage-guy.'_ He meets Dazai’s eyes, excited and warm as they peer down at him. Chuuya decides right then and there that ‘fuck it’ is the official theme of the night.

So in spite of all his careful planning and caution, Chuuya lets himself get caught up in the sensations he’s only been flirting with so far: the raw excitement of not worrying, the adrenaline that pumps through his system with each new dare.

He gives into the feeling, into Dazai’s bright, contagious smile and nods his head.

Dazai’s eyes light up. They're _beautiful_ and Chuuya likes that he's the one who made him look like that.

Dazai squeezes his hand quickly, before they get in the car to do what is definitely the dumbest, _craziest_ thing Chuuya has ever done. But for once, he's not thinking about bills or work, or anything other than the feeling of freedom.

He reaches for the sensation, takes hold of it and slips into the front seat next to Dazai. The engine _roars_ to life, music blaring as Dazai turns and looks at him, mimicking their first drive.

“Ready, Chuu~ya?”

Chuuya smirks, clicking his buckle into place. He knows his line, but this time, the energy is different.

He looks over and nods. “Are you?”

Dazai's response is a _wolfish _smile, all teeth and excitement as he shifts into drive and peels out of the lot.

* * *

Atsushi’s phone rings after a short while and it's Ranpo’s voice that immediately greets him, “Atsushi, hey~, I have some information for you!”

Atsushi breathes a sigh of relief. He’s texted Chuuya a few time but to no avail, so any kind of knowledge on the game he’s playing makes him feel more at ease. “Thank you, Ranpo. What were you able to find?”

_ “Well, I poked around a bit in the dark and found you a link.” _Ranpo’s voice lowers, conspiratorial.

_“Between you and me, I was thinking of joining the game, to play a little, see how wild the dares can get, but I think Poe might have a heart attack and then who would feed me?”_

Atsushi laughs softly. “I think you’re right about Edgar. Give the poor man a break Ranpo. He’s already wound so tight over you.” He tries to imagine Ranpo without Edgar and fails, they’re a package deal.

Ranpo sighs, the raven's voice is petulant as it always is when Poe gets the best of him. _“I guess I’ll just have to get my kicks by watching. We set up a watcher account and the top Players look like they could be loads of fun. It’s a little tame right now but…“_

“Who’s at the top, Ranpo?” Atsushi feels bad for interrupting, he does, but if Chuuya’s at the top, well the thought of that makes him happy and nauseous at the same time.

_“It’s someone named Fyodor at the moment, but there’s a Rogue and a Chuuya who have chosen to work together and they’re gunning for the lead…“_

Atsushi interrupts again. “That’s my friend! Chuuya!” His nerves give way to a cautious excitement. “Thank god he’s near the top. I was so _worried_ this was all going to go to hell. How have his dares been? Have you seen any?”

_ “Oh! He’s a feisty little guy, isn’t he? I just saw the last one. He and Rogue had to climb the _ _Hollywood sign to take a selfie. Child’s play really, but he seemed fine.”_

Atsushi exhales and suddenly realizes that Dazai is still probably with Chuuya.

Atsushi has seen the way his friend had looked at the taller brunette, with interest and amusement. Dazai, if he’s smart enough, could try to take advantage of that, _though _Chuuya’s always been a good judge of character. Still, he’s worried. “And now?”

_“Well this one is definitely more my speed,”_ Ranpo says with a cackle and Atsushi does not miss the emphasis, like there’s another layer to that sentence and it turns out he’s right.

_“They’re on their way to the 101 right now. Their objective is to get to 110 mph.”_

Atsushi knows Ranpo is loving this, but he can’t help the way his stomach drops. Chuuya isn’t this reckless, he wouldn’t do something that could potentially leave Kyouka alone, something that could get him killed.

His expression falls, “Ranpo, Chuuya’s not like this. He wouldn’t risk everything just for cash…”

But as he speaks, he remembers the way his friend looked when he left, eyes full of _frustration_ and challenge and a plea for Atsushi to trust him.

_'It’s possible',_ he guesses, but there’s something nagging at him. “You know what? Just send me the link.” Atsushi pauses, “I _appreciate_ this Ranpo and I hate to bother you for more, but do you think you’d be up for some additional recon?”

Ranpo practically squeals. _“You know the way to my heart~”_ Atsushi hears something rustle, then: _“What can I do?”_

“Find out what you can about Rogue. His last name’s Dazai, or at least that’s what he _told_ us. I need to know if Chuuya is safe with him.”

_“Sure thing, Sushi! I’ll get back to you soon. I’m sending you the link now.”_ Ranpo chirps.

They say goodbye and sure enough, he quickly clicks on the link and the game pops up like an _**eerie**_ void. He sighs and then adds himself as a Watcher, hopefully now he can find Chuuya easily.

* * *

If you asked Atsushi what Chuuya’s defining qualities were, he’d rattle off a list with things such as hard working, determined, efficient and the like.

_Nowhere_ in there, despite having become easy friends, would he put 'outgoing' or 'social' due to Chuuya’s feistiness.

Chuuya’s cordial enough at his jobs, talks to people because he has to, not because he wants to, and while his particular brand of bluntness and temper has a certain charm to it that’s earned him the favor of some of the customers, he’s not what you would ever call 'popular'.

_ Yet_ here he is with over 7,000 people enthusiastically following his every move.

He’s got Ichiyo on the phone and her surprise carries clear in her voice. _“I wonder if he knows how many followers he has,”_ she says.

He hears the blonde woman take a sip of something and what must be the stir of fabric as he shifts his phone around on his shoulder.

Atsushi forwarded her the link, courtesy of Ranpo and faster than he could have expected, she’d signed up and called him.

Now, Atsushi’s hunkered down in a bar in Los Angeles, the noise filtering through the receiver, but he can hear the light tone of Ichiyo's voice well enough.

“Probably not, you know him,” Atsushi says. He sinks into the worn leather of the booth, turning his empty glass from side to side. “Dazai might have told him.”

_“He might have.”_ Ichiyo says, sounding also suspicious.

He doesn’t want to assume the worst of this stranger, Dazai, he _really_ doesn’t but at the end of the day it’s a game and if Dazai wants to win…well Chuuya is only an obstacle in his path.

_“He’s doing quite well.”_ His boss retorts and Atsushi opens his mouth to respond, but stops as Chuuya’s stream goes live and his cool stare comes into view.

He’s mumbling something, then flips the camera around so the viewers can see that he’s got a second phone in his hands.

The first phone is probably for his own dare, Atsushi figures, the other for Dazai and Chuuya focuses the second phone on the car’s speedometer.

_“Atsushi, I think they’re ready,”_ she says. Atsushi’s waiting for the pair to get to the city center before he tries to find them and talk to Chuuya.

“I understand,” he confirms and the line clicks off, leaving Atsushi alone with his end of the live-stream.

With his head in his hands, he waits for them to start. He doesn’t know if he should watch this, but he steels himself.

He reluctantly puts his trust in Chuuya’s faith toward Dazai that he won’t have to watch one of his closest friends die on camera.

_ **To Be Continued... ** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments and suggestions keep me motivated <3
> 
> All rights reserved to the creators of Nerve, Bungou Stray Dogs and @/shingekino_neon


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's take a ride, a very dangerous and speedy ride on the highway! Poe and Ranpo reveals a secret and Atsushi is shocked~
> 
> Enjoy<3

Chuuya’s not sure that twenty minutes is enough to do what they have to do with Los Angeles traffic in the way, but Dazai seems pretty confident. To Dazai’s credit, he’s proven himself a damn good driver and it actually doesn’t take them long to get to the 101.

By the time they get onto the highway, they’ve still got a _solid_ fifteen minutes to get the dare done, and as Dazai crosses back and forth across the stretch of lanes, Chuuya takes note of the cars around them. It’s more than he’d prefer there to be.

_ 'Dazai will have to be that asshole, weaving in and out of traffic to get to a stretch of clear road',_ Chuuya thinks with a sigh.

Chuuya has an _odd_ feeling of exacerbation as Dazai shoots an excited look his way: They’re going to do this. They’re going to fly down this highway and not kill themselves, and at the end he’ll be ten thousand dollars richer than this morning.

Chuuya feels like his whole body is buzzing. Dazai’s thrill is infectious and as they get ready, he reaches over and squeezes Chuuya’s hand, his knee bouncing in anticipation.

Chuuya clicks his tongue, pulling his hand away with a smirk. “Both hands on the wheel, Dazai. If you get me killed, I’ll _haunt_ you every day for the rest of your life.”

Dazai’s laugh is loud and full as he places his hand back on the steering wheel, “You just can’t bear the thought of leaving me, admit it,” he teases and tightens his grip, merging into the left lane. Chuuya watches him smile, _though_ Dazai keeps his eyes on the road. “Don’t worry, Chuuya. We’ve got this.”

The brunette’s voice is _sure_ and steady. He’s confident in his ability to get them through this and so Chuuya is too because even if he doesn't really know the brunette, he's been putting a lot of trust in Dazai ever since they met.

He reaches between them and grabs Dazai’s phone, opening Nerve to record the speedometer then begins his own stream, leveling the camera with an even look.

“Alright, you shitty Watchers,” Chuuya mumbles and flips the camera to prove that he’s in the car with Dazai. Keeping his own phone trained on the highway, he points the other at the driver.

Dazai falls into his Rogue persona easily, giving his Watchers a wink and a crooked smile that still flusters Chuuya, despite the fact that they’ve had their tongues down each other’s throats.

“Okay guys, we’ve got about twelve minutes to get this done. _Plenty_ of time, but there’s quite a few cars on the road tonight~” Dazai makes his voice uncertain, playing up on the touch-and-go nature of the dare. “So we’ll have to be real smart about this. Buckle up and wish me luck.”

Chuuya flips his own camera and tilts his head towards Dazai. “What he said,” he tells his viewers, then faces them towards the road again.

He and Dazai exchange a quick glance, Chuuya settling back into his seat with both phones steady in his hands. The night air is _cool_ as it breezes in through the open windows. The air ghosts along Chuuya’s skin and he shivers, his anticipation and adrenaline building up with every second.

He nods once at the slight break in traffic ahead of them. Dazai sees it too and he turns up the music like he’s Mad Max on Fury Road. Somehow it’s fitting.

“Let’s do this!” Chuuya grins.

Dazai **slams** his foot on the gas and they shoot forward from an already fast 85 mph, the engine revving as it fights for speed. They make it to 96 mph before some dumbass in the middle lane decides the left is a better choice.

The Impala is coming up fast, so it’s not like the driver couldn't see them if they looked but the car moves anyway, blocking their path. Dazai curses and shifts right to the middle, crossing between a mini-van and a convertible to move rapidly over to the far lane. There’s a few cars ahead of them but they've got enough space to hit an even 100.

Chuuya’s heart _booms_ in his chest and he wonders if Dazai feels it too - the rush of adrenaline that comes as they fly down the highway - _he must,_ if the wide eyes and grin are any indication.

The air whips in through the windows, messing Dazai’s hair every which way. Chuuya thinks he looks gorgeous, _wild_ and untaimed. He makes sure to get a quick shot of him for the Watchers as a little reimbursement for the boost Dazai gave him.

He makes sure to keep his phone pointed at the road, but Chuuya lets his eyes linger on Dazai. He looks _so good_ behind the wheel, comfortable and obnoxiously hot in his dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and exposing those bandages.

Chuuya gets so caught up in following the line of Dazai’s neck up to his jaw that he doesn’t realize they’re about to encounter a problem until Dazai is banging a fist against the steering wheel, the Impala slows down from 105 while it comes out of a curve.

Chuuya curses silently, "Shit."

“Fuck!” Dazai suddenly _snaps_ and Chuuya turns and contorts his face in surprise as he catches sight of what has Dazai frustrated.

Up ahead of them the traffic has grown thicker, groups of cars making a straight acceleration almost impossible. It makes sense. They’re driving quickly towards the city center, towards more people and less opportunities to maneuver across lanes.

Dazai bites his lip, murmuring. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

It occurs to Chuuya that Dazai _could_ actually fail this dare. If he did, would the ride still count for Chuuya so he could continue?

He’d known that at some point they’d have to separate, that he’d have to be willing to do whatever it takes to keep the money he’s earned, but in all of that, he never gave much thought to the fact that a complete win for him would mean a fail for Dazai.

_Yet,_ as he watches the oncoming traffic grow closer, he thinks he may have to start thinking of his own way forward. Technically, he might not even need Dazai to win to complete this dare...

“Hey,” he starts to say, but Dazai is becoming visibly more upset. His brows furrow and he sits up, body rigid as he cranes his neck this way and that. “Don’t push it Dazai. I know you’ve got your own story, but whatever it is, this dare isn’t worth it. You can’t help anyone if you’re dead and neither can I.”

Dazai nods, worrying his lip between his teeth. “I know. You’re right, but I-”

He’s interrupted as Chuuya’s face brightens and he thrusts his hand with his phone forward, pointing towards a section of road up ahead. “Dazai, there!”

It’s not a _huge_ space. There are cars that could easily ruin the straight shot, but it just might be enough to get from their current speed of 85 to 110 mph. The doubt that Chuuya feels is overshadowed by a buzzing excitement that there’s still a chance.

“I see it!” Dazai shouts, merging back over to the middle.

He’s able to speed up, clearing 90 mph as he passes two cars to the left of him. They’re almost in the clear, just a few _short feet_ away, when a car ahead of them puts its left blinker on.

Chuuya nearly loses his shit, leaning out the window to yell at the car. He knows they probably can’t hear him, but he feels vindicated as the car’s blinker goes off and the path stays wide open.

Dazai barks out a surprised laugh, putting his own blinker on. “You know they can’t hear you, right?”

Chuuya leans back with a satisfied huff. “I know that! I just want you to win this.”

Dazai shoots him a sideways glance, his expression unreadable. He keeps silent, accelerating now that there’s open road. Chuuya watches the speedometer through Dazai’s stream, the needle moving steadily from 95, 96, 97– all the way to 105.

“How much time do we have left?” Dazai asks and Chuuya checks the timer.

“Eight minutes. You’re fine, Dazai.”

The road is clear ahead of them and Dazai nods. He presses the pedal further, speeding up the final stretch as the lights of the city center come into view.

Chuuya holds his breath, watches as the needle finally reaches 110, and he’s both overjoyed and deeply relieved when Dazai’s phone goes off with the trill of a satisfied dare.

Chuuya exhales sharply, nodding his head. It’s done. _'We’re done. This is good.'_

Dazai drums his hands on the wheel with a victorious grin, merging over to the right to catch an exit off of the highway. He stops right next to a large building, the Ahmanson Theatre, Chuuya notes from a sign.

Dazai grabs his phone, switches the car off and is out of the car running a victory lap before Chuuya can even unbuckle himself.

Chuuya stares at his phone, curious as to _why_ his own dare hasn’t been satisfied yet. He doesn’t have much time to think on it because Dazai is whipping his door open, grabbing his hand and hoisting him up.

Chuuya stumbles with the momentum and Dazai’s hands slip to his shoulders, steadying him. The next thing Chuuya knows, Dazai’s hands are cupping his face and he’s leaning down to kiss him, _hard_ and _raw_ and happy.

He presses his forehead against Chuuya’s, breathing deeply and his voice is soft. “Thank you,” Dazai says.

Chuuya laughs, his brows furrowing and the corner of his mouth quirking up. His heart is still thundering in his chest. “For what?”

Dazai shrugs. “I don’t know. Just, uh, thank you.”

Chuuya understand the feeling of being grateful but not having the words to communicate how. So he says _'you’re welcome'_ in the only way that seems right: by making a move of his own. He presses his mouth to Dazai’s with a soft smile playing at his lips.

Someone somewhere is satisfied by it their action, because in the middle of their kiss his phone _‘kachings’,_ his dare complete.

“Seriously?” He murmurs against Dazai’s mouth. The brunette’s answering laugh is light.

“Watchers, you know~” Dazai says, amused yet resigned.

It’s only _then_ that Chuuya notices the group of people on the sidewalk, watching Dazai and him with their phones in their hands as well as a few cars with people leaning out windows or with their noses pressed to windshields to get a good look at them.

_ 'They must be Watchers too',_ Chuuya realizes and at this particular moment, he feels a bit like an exhibit, people oohing and aahing as they stare.

Dazai looks down at him with silent concern. It is annoying, but Chuuya says 'fuck it' for the millionth time, because at this point who cares? They just did something dumb as hell and survived. He and Dazai are both still in the game and he’ll figure out what to do when they get further because this strange bandage-guy and this ridiculous game make him feel a sense of liveliness like he hasn’t in so long.

He levels the Watchers with a cool stare, trying to push down the _irritation_ he feels at being gawked at. Dazai drapes an arm over his shoulders and squeezes, shooting their Watchers a wink.

They’re acting like Chuuya and Dazai are some celebrity couple, like they’ve skyrocketed in fame over the course of a few hours and are now suddenly valuable.

Chuuya’s not _quite sure_ how that happened but then again he doesn’t quite understand anything his sister’s generation is interested in or capable of. He shrugs his shoulders as he and Dazai starts to turn away.

_'Millennials',_ he thinks with a smirk and follow behind the sexy brunette.

* * *

Atsushi takes **deep** breaths and tells himself _over_ and _over_ that it’s fine; the dare is done, and Chuuya is in one piece, and that’s all that matters. It works to calm the immediate panic he feels, but does little to halt the rising fear that this isn’t the worst thing his friend might do to win this game.

Ichiyo lets out a strong exhale over the phone, _“He’s okay, Sushi,”_ she says, voice fond. _“Chuuya will be back, falling asleep on the job after this is all over.”_

_'It’s not just Chuuya',_ Atsushi thinks. _'It’s Dazai more than anything.'_

He saw the look on Chuuya’s face as they finished, saw him look at Dazai with something layered in his eyes, like thrill and warmth and something raw. It was a foreign look in Chuuya’s eyes, one that _tips_ the scale away from trusting Chuuya to truly worrying about his judgement.

The idea leaves a bad taste in his mouth.

His phone rings again just as he says goodbye to his boss. It’s Ranpo again and Atsushi _prays_ that there’s nothing more than chemistry to worry about where Dazai and Chuuya are concerned.

Ranpo’s excited rant is nearly unintelligible, it's a jumble of words that convey his frenzied happiness. Atsushi holds his phone away from his ear as the madness dies down.

“Ranpo," he says calming, “Please, repeat that, slowly.”

_ “I said, can you believe what just happened? That was wild. For a minute there I was worried about your feisty friend's judgement, but he actually did it! I hope they do more dares like that. Makes me less sad about not joining.”_

“Ranpo,” Atsushi sighs, “Please don’t-” he’s interrupted by a shout at the other end of the line.

_ “Here’s Edgar now! He took over the search while I watched your friend’s dare. Hold on, I’m giving him the phone!”_

Poe’s kind voice is a gentle juxtaposition to Ranpo’s ever present enthusiasm. He cuts right to the chase. _“Hi Atsushi, it’s nice to talk to you again. I found something on Rogue that I don’t think you’re going to like.”_

Atsushi holds his breath as he continues. _“He was involved with another round of Nerve in Seattle, along with the current leader Fyodor. They were working together with another Player and that boy died while he was with them on a dare. The death is listed as an accident, no connection to Nerve, or the other boys beyond a vague mention. But there’s a video, if you want to see, it’s…well it’s shocking and suspicious.”_

Atsushi’s stomach turns. He had a feeling something was off, but this is **beyond** what he was thinking.

Dazai using Chuuya is _one_ thing. It’s terrible but not fatal and ultimately Chuuya could handle that.

If Dazai is _dangerous_ though, he’s very good at hiding it and he’s sure that Dazai's not going to let Chuuya just keep playing, he’s going to get him out of the way as soon as he’s done with him.

_“Atsushi? Are you still there?”_ Edgar asks with concern.

Atsushi takes a deep breath, focusing back on the call. “Poe. I’m sorry. Thank you for telling me.” He exhales and runs an anxious hand through his hair, “I have to go. I have to get in touch with Chuuya.”

_ “Let us know if you need anything,”_ Edgar says and then adds, _“I’ll tell Ranpo you said goodbye.”_

He hangs up and Atsushi immediately starts dialing, hoping to reach his friend before something really bad happens.

* * *

Dazai’s phone goes off and he looks down at it, biting at his lip with a reluctant expression.

“What is it?” Chuuya asks after a few moments. “Got another dare?”

Dazai gives a minute shake of his head, dropping the hand that holds the phone to squeeze at his own shoulder. He turns to look at Chuuya. “You don’t want to go to a party, do you?”

Chuuya’s answering expression is questioning, "Huh? Who's party?"

“It’s my friend,” Dazai explains, “He asked me to stop in if I can.”

The _last_ thing that Chuuya wants to do right now is to go to a party filled with a bunch of probably drunk teenagers, but Dazai doesn’t seem all that excited either.

_'It could be a simple in and out, and that’s not so bad.'_

“You know~” Dazai says, an optimistic smile playing at his lips like he can see Chuuya weighing the pros and cons, “It could get us more Watchers.”

_'More Watchers, more money',_ Chuuya thinks and settles for the positives.

“Yeah, alright.” He agrees.

Dazai’s quick to hide the surprise that morphs his features, covers it with a nice smile instead and Chuuya lets it go, but didn't miss it.

“Cool, okay.” He’s relieved, his shoulders relaxing, and he leans back in his seat. He lifts his phone with a shake in Chuuya’s direction.

“It won’t take us long to get there. Mind if we check out the competition before we go? I wanna see what’s happening at the top.”

Chuuya shrugs his shoulders, settling closer to Dazai to share the small screen of his phone. The standings are _slightly_ different than before. Fyodor is still at the top with Dazai right below him, but Chuuya has somehow managed to jump a few spots, to settle right under Dazai.

Chuuya notices that Snow are tailing him. Dazai clicks around the screen, watching parts of streams to get an idea of what they’re up against. _Fyodor_ turns out to be yet another tall guy with dark brown hair, he's Russian and his sharp features mimics his Russian ancestry that makes him look a little intimidating.

But the Russian also appear to be a _cocky_ son of a bitch, pointing a finger at the camera and blowing a kiss before he hands his phone to who Chuuya assumes to be a Watcher. The camera pans the environment, revealing it to be a rooftop, metal and flat.

“Oh shit,” Dazai snickers, “The rat has to jump.”

Chuuya sees it too, the camera following Fyodor as he stands on the edge of the building and points at the next one over.

“No fucking way,” Chuuya says under his breath. The Russian has long legs, but even then that’s a hell of a jump. “He’s going to break his whole _damn_ body.”

Dazai hums, unconvinced. “I don’t know. I’ve seen him run before. The guy sprints like a rabbit."

Together they watch Fyodor back up to the far end of the building, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. He _squats_ down, settles back on his toes like a sprinter as his timer slips from three minutes to two on the little screen.

Chuuya holds his breath, not wanting to watch this guy fracture every bone in his body, but he finds that he doesn’t have to worry about that at all.

Dazai is right again - Fyodor is athletic. His long legs carry him _fast_ and _far,_ and he crosses the divide between roofs, nearly ten feet by Chuuya’s estimate, in a long bound, tucking and rolling as he lands on the other side.

They stay just long enough to see the**_ ‘dare complete’_ **before Dazai shifts to the only other active stream at the top of the leaderboard: Snow.

He’s _not_ sure if Dazai’s already seen this Player yet, but when they switch to the stream, Chuuya can’t pick out any one person that could be them. The camera is set on a large group of people, a party he thinks, if the cups and blaring music are any indication.

“Which one are they?” he ask curiously.

“I’ve only seen her once or twice but, _oh,_ that’s her I think.” He puts his finger to a blurry figure suspended upside down at the top of the screen. “I recognize the hair, the braided pigtails.”

The camera tilts sideways for a moment then straightens out, the image clearing as it settles on the dangling figure. Her face isn’t visible, just the top of her head as she crunches upwards, hands moving as if she’s talking to someone out of frame.

And Chuuya does a double-take, then a triple-take as it sinks in _just who_ he’s looking at.

He knows that hair, the two braids he himself taught her how to do when she was younger, yet he can’t believe what he’s seeing. Snow is Kyouka.

“What the _actual_ fuck?” He hisses. He could kick himself for not thinking to ask her name when he’d found out about it, but he’d trusted her.

“Chuuya?” Dazai asks, suddenly worried. “What is it?”

Chuuya stabs at the screen where Kyouka is center focus. Her timer ticks down, nine minutes left out of ten. She got lucky with this dare. She spent the better part of her childhood hanging upside down on the playground, so he knows she’ll pass it no problem.

It doesn’t make the situation _any_ less infuriating.

“That's my fucking sister.” He hisses.

“Your sister?” Dazai’s eyes widen in shock. “You didn’t tell me she was a Player. She’s doing _pretty_ well!”

“She’s not _supposed_ to be doing it at all!” Chuuya snaps. “She told me she was done with this. I have to go, I have to make her stop.”

He digs a hand into his hair, frustration and anger clouding his judjement. “Shit! I don’t even know where she is!”

“I do.” Dazai says and Chuuya whips his head to face him. His mouth is set in a determined line, jaw tensing as he starts up the car. “Buckle up, shortie.”

Chuuya does as instructed, _narrowing_ his eyes at Dazai. “How do you know where she is?”

_ **To Be Continued... ** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated <3
> 
> All rights reserved to the creators of Nerve and Bungou Stray Dogs as well as @/shingekino_neon


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally Atsushi finds Chuuya! 
> 
> Thanks for the comments and kudos so far, I really appreciate it and it keeps me motivated~ thank you guys for supporting me!

_'It’s a small fucking world',_ Chuuya thinks as he and Dazai hop into an elevator, one that will take him up to find his sister.

He didn’t expect Kyouka’s party and the one Dazai mentioned to be one in the same, and yet here they are, and all Chuuya can think is thank fucking god the world’s so small.

He checks his phone, they were actually pretty close to the building, so if he’s right, Kyouka should still have a little less than two minutes to go.

The doors open with a ping onto a hallway with two doors at opposite ends. Dazai heads to the right and Chuuya follows.

They don’t knock, slipping into the party unnoticed, which lasts for all of 30 seconds. A girl at the edge of a group notices Dazai first, then Chuuya, and waves _enthusiastically_ at the pair of them. Dazai takes his hand with a squeeze and shakes his head at the girl to stop, holding his finger to his lips in a silent shush. She does, thankfully, and gives them a thumbs up and a wink.

Dazai pulls him to the side, navigating through a crowded hall as the bass of the music _pumps_ through the apartment around them. It’s the kind of music that in any other situation works its way through bone and hypes you up, but all it does is make Chuuya more annoyed.

Everything feels so impersonal and ridiculous and he still doesn’t believe it, that his sister is somewhere in this party doing what she promised him she wouldn’t.

“Up there,” Dazai says, pointing at a spiral staircase that carries up to what Chuuya can see is a loft space.

Dazai lets him go first and Chuuya takes the stairs two at a time, catching a glimpse of Kyouka’s swaying pigtails as he goes.

_ 'Good',_ he thinks, _'she’s not done yet'._ Chuuya wants to shout at her to get her attention and lay into her for this dumbass move, but he’s not an idiot, he’ll wait till she’s finished.

Ryu is the first person he sees when he makes it to the top, standing next to Kyouka’s feet as they hook around the metal bars of the railing. Ryu’s eyes _widen_ and he winces at being caught, but he doesn’t speak, not after Chuuya levels him with a glare that he’s sure has the raven nearly shitting his pants.

It takes less than a minute for Kyouka to complete the dare and Chuuya spends it waiting in front of her, his arms _crossed_ and hip cocked while he looks at Dazai standing next to him, an unreadable expression on his face as he stares down at his phone.

Chuuya hears shuffling in front of him and turns in time to see Kyouka crunch her way into a sitting position, grabbing Ryu’s hand to steady herself. She has her eyes closed, probably to handle the shift in orientation, so she doesn’t notice Chuuya right away.

_Downstairs,_ the faint but still-there recognition of her success sounds off amid the house music, and she drops her head back with a relieved smile.

He almost doesn’t blame her - the _rush_ and _relief_ that comes with a win are problematically familiar. But he does blame her, and he clears his throat.

Kyouka freezes, grabbing tighter at Ryu’s hand as she lowers her head, slow and reluctant. “Shit,” she whispers and slides off of the railing.

He waits until the small crowd on the balcony catches on to the tension and dissipates. “Care to tell me what the fuck you think you’re doing?”

“Chuuya…”

“You promised me sis, you promised me this was over.” She opens her mouth again, but Chuuya can’t stop the words from spilling out. “You _knew_ it was stupid and dangerous. You’re not an idiot, so _why_ are you acting like it again?”

Her mouth slams shut, eyes flashing hurt as she stares at him. Chuuya knows he’s an ass for expecting honesty with her when he’s been hiding shit himself, but he does, though he doesn’t know why he expects her answer to be any different than before.

“You know why, Chuuya. You were _never_ going to let me get a job. I know you want me to focus on senior year, but how am I supposed to do that when we can’t even afford college tuition? This,” she says flinging her arms out, “was how I could help.”

She puts her hands on her hips, tilting her head in frustrated confusion. “How did you even _know_ I was playing still? You’d have to be a Watcher or a...” Kyouka stares at him, eyes taking in the parts of the suit he’s still wearing - dress shirt with the arms rolled up to his elbows, black pants and the shoes he could never afford - and shifting to Dazai too.

Her gaze narrows as she notices their similar outfits and trails off. She barks out an incredulous laugh. “You’re kidding me, right?”

Chuuya hears a throat clear behind him, then Dazai’s voice, curious and terribly timed. “How did you _not_ know your brother was playing?”

Kyouka eyes him, crossing her arms over her chest. Their mirrored pose is almost enough to make Chuuya laugh.

“I don’t know!” She huffs, “I haven’t been paying attention to anyone else.”

At that, Chuuya snorts despite his anger and Dazai groans, “What is it with this family?”

“I-” she stops, and turns her nose up at Dazai. “Who are you?”

Dazai goes to speak, but Chuuya beats him to it. He doesn’t want Kyouka’s attention on the brunette.

“His name’s Dazai and this _isn’t_ about him Kyouka. It’s about you and going behind my back.”

She lets out a dramatic noise and he keeps his mouth shut, watching as she smacks a hand to her forehead with a disbelieving smile.

“Behind your back? _You’re_ the one who said this was dangerous! That it was stupid and-” she drops her voice low to mimic him, “how did I know I could trust these people? Yet you go and hide it too!”

“You were already out, sis! I didn’t join until after you left.”

“Oh, right. So you were going to tell me, just next time you saw me. _Sure._”

“That’s not the goddamn point! It is dangerous, Kyouka! They have our information. And the dares they have us doing?” Chuuya hasn’t seen many, but he’s not delusional.

He thinks about the dare they just finished, about that Russian, Fyodor, and his jump and how the three of them could have died with even the slightest fuck up. “You should have quit when I told you to.”

“But it’s fine if you do it, yeah?” Kyouka says. Her voice is spiteful and hurt. “You get to take on another thing and drive yourself crazy, no problem.” She shrugs her shoulders. “Might be dangerous but hey, at least you get to play your fucked up version of the hero.”

Chuuya freezes. There’s a sharp inhale behind him, but he can’t take his eyes off of Kyouka or her face as it flashes with _regret_ and settles back on defiance.

“Is that what you think?” He speaks coolly, through gritted teeth and wavering composure. “That I do what I do for some kind of fucking hero worship ?”

Chuuya feels hollow. There’s no way she means it, no way they’ve gone so far off course that all of her support has been total bullshit. So was she just trying to hurt him?

When she can’t answer, he realizes he’s right, and somehow that’s so much worse.

Their silence is interrupted by someone calling Kyouka’s name from downstairs and she turns to look over the railing, Chuuya following reluctantly. The voice belongs to a girl he vaguely recognizes from Kyouka’s friend group. She’s standing near the edge of the crowd, his sister’s phone held up towards them.

“Got another one, Kyouka!”

Chuuya watches Kyouka fight the wave of excitement, his fists tightening at the familiarity of it as she peers sideways at him. He sees her jaw shift with consideration, then the moment she decides to ignore him yet again.

Kyouka leans over the railing, calling down to her friend. “What is it, Kate?”

“Go to the roof and jump into the building’s pool - $1,000.” Kate laughs, her eyes wide with surprise. “A fucking grand, Kyouka!”

Kyouka bites her lip, chancing a look in Chuuya’s direction. Her face is a mix of _apprehension_ and excitement, and he gives her a single shake of his head.

“Don’t even think about it, Kyouka.” he says because she doesn’t know how to swim. With their mother being sick for so long and him working as much as he could, he’d never had the chance to teach her. Yet here she is, actually considering it.

“Chuuya, it’s a thousand dollars.” She screws her eyes shut tight and continues. “I can do it. I’ll just get up there and someone will get me out or whatever. It’s just a pool, right?” she asks. She says it to herself again quietly.

“It’s just a pool. Not _too_ big. Ryu you’ll rescue me, right?” She peeks an eye open to see her boyfriend nod at her and smiles. Chuuya rolls his eyes. He can still see the bit of uncertainty in her forced expression.

“You’re **not** doing this. We don’t need the money so badly that you need to do something you’re fucking terrified of.”

Kyouka’s response is a frustrated shout. “Would you stop telling me what to do?” She leans back over the railing. “Kate, accept it.” The girl looks up, her thumb hovering over the phone’s screen and her eyes shifting between between the both of them.

Chuuya levels her with a glare. “Kate, reject the dare,” he says, then to Kyouka: “Just stop.”

“No, Chuuya!” she shouts.

“Kyouka, you’re acting like-” he starts to say.

They’re both so focused that they miss Kate’s voice, ignoring her and the group that has gathered to watch them.

“Why don’t you understand that I can make my own decisions?” Kyouka shifts her body, hand on one hip. “I can pull my own weight!”

“Kyouka, it’s not- ” Chuuya’s interrupted by Dazai, who tugs at his elbow to get his attention.

“Chuuya, stop...look.” He gestures to the phone in Chuuya’s hand, where a Nerve new message waits to be read. The music is loud, between that and arguing with Kyouka, Chuuya hadn’t even noticed it go off.

“You’ve got a new dare,” Dazai says. But when Chuuya looks, he realizes it’s not a new dare at all. It’s the same as Kyouka’s. _'What the hell?'_

Kyouka eyes him suspiciously. “What is it?” He shows her the message, expressions of surprise, frustration and confusion flicking across her face as she reads it. “But that’s my dare.”

She looks down at Kate with wild eyes. “What happened, Kate? Did you reject it?”

“No, it disappeared before I could do anything!”

Chuuya stares at his phone. The take has doubled to two thousand; _why,_ Chuuya doesn’t know. He’s not sure if the Watchers around them - and he can see that more than half of the teenagers down on the dance floor have their phones out to record, so he’s assuming they’re part of the game - are just being little shits or if they’re feeling benevolent.

Is it possible that they heard him mention Kyouka’s fear? Either way, Kyouka will be pissed if he takes it.

Chuuya can’t pass it up though. It’s two grand for something he _can do_ and if he’s being honest, he’s pissed at Kyouka for being such a stubborn pain in his ass. He presses _**‘accept’**_ and looks up to meet Dazai’s curious eyes.

Ryu, who’s been quiet the whole time, steps up and wraps his hand around Kyouka’s shoulder. “Look, I know you want this Kyouka, but I don’t think this dare is worth it. For _whatever_ reason, the game didn’t kick you when the dare went away, so _maybe_ just wait for the next one?”

“It doesn’t matter anyway.” She says, hanging her head with a pout and gesturing towards the visible screen of Chuuya’s phone. “He already accepted it.”

The crowd cheers from downstairs and Chuuya watches as a timer replaces the text on the screen. 6:00. He's got six minutes. 

“Fucking great. Okay, Kyouka-” he shoots her a pointed look. “I’m doing the dare and then you are getting out of this city.” She sputters but he ignores her, looking at Dazai instead, “Come on.”

Dazai nods and together they race back down the spiral stairs and out of the apartment. Chuuya dashes down the hall, catching sight of a door to the right of the elevator. He hears people trickle into the hallway, their voices _loud_ and excited, but he doesn’t look back.

Chuuya can see Dazai just out of the corner of his eye and that’s all he’s particularly concerned about beyond launching himself off a building in the next few minutes.

_ 'It’s only four stories and I can swim just fine. Hell, people do more absurd shit than this all the time and survive,'_ he thinks but it doesn’t stop him from wanting to hesitate.

He tears open the stairwell door, pausing on the landing and tugs Dazai toward him as the door slams quickly shut. 4:02 on the timer.

“The pool’s gotta be in the back,” Chuuya says, the words tumbling out. “Go there and wait for me?”

Dazai nods once and surges forward, pressing their lips together. He whispers against Chuuya’s mouth. “Don’t die, okay?” Then he’s off, flying down the stairs.

Chuuya hears people coming closer in the hall, the _ding_ of the elevator telling him some are definitely going outside. He glances up as the door knob turns behind him. He’s only got three and a half minutes left.

The Watchers that flood into the stairwell follow him up the few flights, staying annoyingly close but not bothering him beyond that and he makes it to the roof in less than a minute. Jogging over to the edge of the building, Chuuya _peers_ down and sees the pool, it's decently large and smack in the middle of a courtyard that separates this building he’s on and the one across the way.

The pool is not that far from the edge of the building; a good ten feet of space in between the two.

“Chuuya!” He turns at the sound of his name and sees Dazai standing almost directly below him. He’s surrounded by Watchers, each with their phones pointed up at the roof. Dazai waves at him. “I _forgot_ to tell you to give me your phone to record. Toss it down!”

Chuuya stares down at him incredulous, bouncing on his heels. 2:36 on the timer. “Are you kidding me? Ugh, fine!” Then he realizes he’s about to jump into a pool fully clothed, with nothing dry waiting for him to change into.

He makes a split second decision, _slipping_ off his shoes and socks and tugging off his shirt and pants as fast as he can. He hisses to the catcalls of the Watchers behind him. “Shut up, you creepy fucks!” 

He’s down to his underwear and the goddamn tie; a candy floss pink. 1:58 is glaring at him from where his phone sits on the ledge.

He throws his clothes over the side, heedless of where they might land, then glares down at Dazai as the clothes drop to the ground around him. Chuuya squares his shoulders and holds his phone right above Dazai.

“You better goddamn catch this!” He takes a deep breath on, then drops the device. He only lets himself breathe when it falls safely into Dazai’s hands.

“Shit, okay... ” Chuuya mumbles frantically. He’s probably got _less_ than a minute now and he tries to take a deep breath, but the Watchers are moving closer to him, driving him even closer to the ledge. He hops up onto it and braces himself for the impact he’s about to feel.

Some asshole by the pool shouts at Chuuya to_ ‘just do it already,’_ only to be met with a ‘fuck you’ from someone else on the roof behind him. That same person calls out to Chuuya. “Thirty seconds, shortie.”

And with that, Chuuya grunts, launching himself off the roof. It’s a good shot, if a little close to the edge of the pool, and he barrels towards the water much _faster_ than he expects, hoping he’s not about to crack his head open on the concrete.

He closes his eyes, hears gasps and shouts before he slams into the water, his skin stinging as he plummets to the bottom.

His ass collides hard with the basin, but Chuuya ignores the pain, propelling himself up as fast as he’s able. He breaks the surface of the water, takes a deep, _heaving_ breath as small waves crash heavily around him. Then he registers a noise, booming and wild around the perimeter of the pool.

The Watchers are shouting and clapping, their phones trained on him as flashes blink from within the crowd. They’re vultures, but he did it; he’s not dead, and that’s a relief.

Chuuya clenches his jaw and moves to push himself up and out of the pool. Dazai stops him, reaching for him with an _appreciative_ smile and Chuuya’s phone tucked into his chest.

“That was awesome~” Dazai says as he helps him up. He holds the phone out so Chuuya can see the message there.

_ **Chuuya Nakahara $2000 has been wired to your account.** _

“That was ridiculous.” Chuuya huffs, releasing a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He runs his hands through his hair, slicking it back and out of of his eyes. He catches Dazai staring at him, not embarrassed like he was back at the Grove, but _hot_ and _hungry,_ and so terribly timed.

_'If they were in any other situation...'_ but Chuuya stops his trail of thought, rolling his eyes. _'This is not the time.'_

Other than his phone, Dazai’s hands are empty. “My clothes?” he asks. 

“Here,” someone says and Chuuya looks up to see Kyouka with a towel in her hand and Ryu standing behind her, Chuuya’s clothes folded in his arms. He takes the towel without a word, waiting for Kyouka to speak.

“You scared the shit out of me,” she says.

“It would have been _worse_ if you tried to do it.” He runs the towel quickly over his body, pressing it against his boxer briefs to soak up as much water as he can. In his periphery, he sees several Watchers move closer to them.

Kyouka nods, “You’re right, but the next one is mine.” Chuuya scoffs, tossing his towel on a chair by the wall. He grabs his clothes from Ryu, tugging them on quickly and removing the wet tie from around his neck before slipping on his boots.

He stares at her, incredulous. “You _need_ to stop.”

“I need to stop?” Kyouka’s eyes go wide, her mouth hanging open to say more, but she pauses as a group steps up to them. They are recording, Chuuya realizes, even after the dare is over. The two Watchers at the front are wearing shit eating grins and turn to capture themselves in the camera’s scope.

“And here we have three out of the top four Players,” one says, and moves to put his arm around Chuuya. “You’re so cool bro. You jumped like it was nothing. Just...whoosh!” He motions with his arm and stumbles, tugging Chuuya with him and the few other Watchers near them nod. “I’m betting on you to win this whole thing!”

“Get the hell off me,” he growls, shoving the guy away from him.

Chuuya’s _done_ with the Watchers. He doesn’t like them staring, doesn’t like them thinking they can just come up and touch him; or even the idea that they think they know anything about any of the Players.

Chuuya’s tries to keep his head down, to ignore the people _gawking_ at him, but it’s impossible. Avoidance doesn’t work and his heart hammers in his chest as he grows increasingly frustrated with the attention and his sister and the whole damn thing.

He launches forward, snakes an arm out to grab at Kyouka’s wrist and pulls her behind him, ignoring Ryu’s _‘hey, wait!’_ and Dazai’s soft call as they head back into the building.

_Thankfully_ the hallway is empty when they burst through the door with Dazai and Ryu at their heels and Chuuya stalks through to the foyer, letting go of Kyouka’s wrist as Dazai pulls the door closed, cutting off the noise from outside by the pool. Chuuya’s head _pounds_ as they make their way through the building and out onto the sidewalk.

He scans the street, eyes darting in the darkness until he sees the familiar shape of his car. He holds his hand out to Kyouka, not bothering to look at her. “Keys.”

“What? Chuuya, no!” Her voice is _hesitant_ and surprised, but he can’t think about it. He needs her out of here now. Too bad for him, she keeps going. “I’m **not** leaving.”

This time he looks her dead in the eye, “You are, Kyouka. And you’re _quitting_ this game right now.”

“No! Chuuya, I’ve got followers. I can still win if-” Chuuya would scream if he thought it would do any good, but it _won’t_ and despite the fact that this is a joke, it has to be a joke because Kyouka just isn’t fucking getting it, he can’t bring himself to laugh either.

She’s still talking, but he’s not really listening.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees more teens trickle out of the building they just came from. For no apparent reason, they hover near the entrance. It’s close enough to hear them, Chuuya’s sure, but not directly on top of them, either way it’s still fucking annoying.

“Kyouka, _please_ just stop, ” It’s Ryu who speaks and Chuuya watches as the boy takes his sister’s hands, giving them a light shake to pull her focus away from Chuuya. “You don’t have to do this anymore, okay?”

Chuuya rolls his eyes. Kyouka is one of the most stubborn people he’s ever met; he’s five seconds from throwing her over his shoulder, but if Ryu thinks he can do something, then he can have the fuck at it.

Chuuya turns slowly away from the couple to look at Dazai. He’s quiet, leaning against the building with an intense look in his eyes, his arms crossed over his chest as he meets Chuuya’s gaze. His gaze is _curious_ and _warm_ and the small, crooked smile Dazai gives him is so easy when everything feels so hard.

It makes him want to smack him and kiss him in that order.

But he _can’t_ because there’s more ridiculous things to deal with right now, because he’s so goddamn frustrated and his sister’s voice is calling out a name, one that he didn’t think he’d hear untill the game was over at the very least.

“Atsushi?”

He watches Dazai’s brow furrow and looks back over his shoulder to see his friend, twenty feet away and growing closer.

Atsushi looks so out of place in the crowd of slowly growing people that Chuuya _snorts_ out a laugh, in spite of how irritated he is at the sight of him right now.

“What are you doing here?” He asks, turning and not bothering to hide the edge in his voice. Atsushi’s involved-nature is not something he can handle at the moment.

Atsushi pushes through the cluster of people, striding towards their little group with a layered look. It’s _determined_ and concerned and the slightest bit-frantic?

Chuuya’s not sure he’s seen this look before and it makes him pause. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Atsushi gives Kyouka a quick nod, turning his attention quickly to Chuuya.

“Chuuya, we need to talk. Now.” He stands up a little straighter, his voice lower, more controlled. “Somewhere _private_ preferably.”

Chuuya scoffs at that. Privacy is nonexistent tonight.

“I can’t do this right now, Sushi. I have to get Kyouka home and then I have a game to win. You’ll just have to get in line.”

“Please?” he says, imploring. He leans down so that it’s mostly just between the two of them. “It’s about Dazai.”

“Atsushi-” Chuuya starts to say and then his friend is interrupting him, his face more resolute.

“Dazai was involved in a prior round of Nerve.” He looks over at the brunette leaning against the wall, keeping his eyes on him as he continues, “In _that_ round, another Player died. Dazai and Fyodor, who’s also in this game, were at the scene and the death is _very_ suspicious.”

At that Chuuya’s stomach drops and he turns to catch Dazai’s eyes. He’s dropped his hands and they hang at his sides where he’s pushed off of the wall. Chuuya takes in his expression. It’s _guilty_ and _sad_ and Chuuya’s stomach does a flip, as Atsushi keeps talking behind him.

“He _**used**_ that player, did the same thing there that he’s doing with you, he partnered up and got to the top.” He lowers his voice again, “I think this guy is _dangerous_ and I don’t want you to get hurt, Chuuya. It’s best if you end this here and go on alone.”

Chuuya just stares at Dazai. He may like him, may feel some absurd connection to him, but this is Atsushi and he wouldn’t lie to him, _especially_ not about this.

He asks the question, even though he’s pretty fucking certain he knows the answer. “Dazai, is it true?”

If he’s being honest, Chuuya doesn’t really want him to answer, doesn’t have the time or energy to deal with that on top of his sister lying and this dumb, dangerous fucking game.

“Chuuya-” Dazai puts his hands up in a placating gesture, but it has the opposite effect. Chuuya’s anger _flares_ and he shakes his head as Dazai continues. “It is and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but please, you have to hear me out.”

He doesn’t really; he owes the bandage-bastard _nothing_ and Chuuya runs a frustrated hand through his hair.

Kyouka catches his attention, her expression confused yet still so damned stubborn as Atsushi clears his throat, the noise insistent and grating.

He looks back at Dazai, who reaches a hand out to him with a soft call of his name, though he’s drowned out by Atsushi’s voice and the growing noise of the crowd. Chuuya’s heart rate picks up, the blood _rushing_ in his ears as he stands there, Dazai quiet in front of him.

“We don’t even know that Dazai is his real name,” Atsushi says.

_And that’s what does it;_ the simplest bullshit statement that tips Chuuya full into **fury** and has him stalking towards Dazai because he’s mad - he’s so fucking mad at everything. At this fucking bandage-bastard for adding to the lies and _using_ him and making Chuuya like him while he’s got some kind of agenda.

A lie by omission is still a lie after all, and Dazai stumbles backwards, his eyes pleading.

He looks like he’s about to say something but the last thing Chuuya wants to do right now is listen to anything anyone has to say.

"I don’t have time for this", Chuuya _grits_ his teeth. “I don’t want to hear it, and I _don’t care_ where or how, but you need to get the fuck away from me.”

Dazai bites his lip, his face twisted like he’s trying to decide what to do, like he’s thinking about how best to get Chuuya to understand, but he finally nods, shifting reluctantly away. Chuuya sends up a silent thanks as Dazai averts his eyes and that pleading, puppy dog stare is cut off.

“Okay, okay. Chuuya just please, take care of yourself, alright? This game is _more_ dangerous than you know.” He says and backs up further down the sidewalk, giving Chuuya one last _apologetic_ look before he turns and heads off towards his car.

Chuuya huffs out a breath as Dazai goes, then turns and levels a glare at Kyouka. “You,” he points at her, “are going home. No fucking arguments.”

He turns to Atsushi. “Do me a favor and get her home.” Atsushi nods and Chuuya side-eyes Kyouka and Ryu. “You’re going with him. No bullshit, understand?”

Kyouka nods lightly, taking Ryu’s hand as Atsushi steps to the side and starts to usher the couple away.

“She’ll be fine, Chuuya.” The _‘will you?’_ is unspoken but it’s there and Chuuya nods his thanks.

He watches them until they get to Atsushi’s car, parked a little way up the street and sighs with frustration, the smallest bit relieved as the car pulls away and he’s alone again. _Except_ for the groups of people that still linger near the entrance of the building, probably disappointed by the lack of a fight.

He leans back against the brick wall of the apartment, his fingers rubbing at his temples. He has a headache, but if nothing else, this whole clusterfuck has helped him make up his mind. He’s done with this game, done with the risks and fuck the money - it’s not worth dying for. Not his sister, not himself, not anyone.

If Kyouka is out of the game, then it’s just him who might face punishment. Plus if he’s honest, he’s hoping the power that these people have is a lie, that _‘snitches get stitches’_ is a load of bull; that the police will be able to help keep him and other Players safe.

He sees a cop parked a little up the road. If he tells them, maybe they’ll end this game and spare some lives, especially if the dares get worse then they have been.

He pauses, remembering the warning from the video - _‘snitches get stitches’._ He knows the people who run this have a ridiculous amount of reach. They’re on social media, they’re in bank accounts. With Kyouka out of the game now and his account balance is effectively nothing until payday next week.

_'If it’s just me, what’s the worse they could do?'_

Chuuya walks past the group to the cop car, his steps sure as he ignores all the suspicious glances cast his way. The windows of the car are tinted he realizes, but he knocks anyway and the window rolls down enough to reveal two officers, a man and woman, who each look at him with bothered expressions.

He makes an annoyed sound. “Sorry to have to make you do your job, but I’ve got something you might want to take care.”

The man in the passenger seat lifts an eyebrow but their faces remain largely disinterested, but Chuuya continues, “It’s a game of dares called Nerve and it goes _way deeper_ than is comfortable. Illegal shit, bank accounts, private information...”

Chuuya eyes them both but there’s still nothing - no movement, no flicker of responsibility and what the fuck is going on here?

There's an urgency in his voice now. “This could actually get people killed tonight, you know. You need to do something. Confiscate, interrogate, do some fucking traces, you know, your jobs?”

The woman’s body shifts as she lets out a huff and turns away from him towards her partner. The next thing Chuuya knows, the window is on its way up and he’s shut out.

He kicks the car’s tire with a growl. “Or you could just sit with your fucking thumbs up your asses and let a whole bunch of dumbass teens get themselves killed!”

Shaking his head, he steps away from the car and the urge to put his fist through the window. He paces back towards the sidewalk, the voices of the lingering teens behind him growing louder as he does.

Chuuya doesn’t really know what to do now. He’s not a fucking detective. He can’t look into this by himself. He got Kyouka out and he’s going to quit now.

Something’s still nagging at him though, someone that makes him angry and disappointed and just… sad, Chuuya realizes.

_'Why did Dazai lie and what the fuck happened with that other player?'_ Atsushi’s intuition is usually on point, but so is his and Dazai is new and ridiculous but he’s not a murderer. Chuuya would _never_ conclude the brunette to be a murderer. 

He turns towards his car with an exhale, intent on going back home and getting the fuck away from this situation, but he’s stopped by a figure with a familiar face.

Chuuya recognizes him as that Russian Player - Fyodor.

He’s a little taller than Dazai and Chuuya has to look up because he’s so close. “What the fuck do you want?”

With a cocky smirk, the guy looks down at him. “Hey short-stack, no hard feelings about this okay?”

That sinister smirk is the _last_ thing Chuuya sees before Fyodor’s fist comes down swiftly, the pain blossoming across his face and crunching his nose before he blacks out.

_ **To Be Continued... ** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun, the plot thickens!
> 
> All rights reserved to the creators of Nerve, Bungou Stray Dogs and @/shingekino_neon


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ryu and Kyouka in a relationship? Who even thought of that? My brain of course, plus, Atsushi notices Ryu for the first time >_<
> 
> Fyodor and Dazai are related? *double gasp* Chuuya finally learns about Dazai's past!
> 
> Additional Warnings for: cussing, violence, mentions of death, brief mention of a dead body.
> 
> Enjoy<3

“Ryu, do you have your own car in the city?” Atsushi eyes the raven in the rear-view mirror before setting his eyes back on the road. He figures it’s smarter to ask before they head out of LA, _though_ he’s reasonably sure Kyouka was the one who drove them in.

Ryu is polite, shaking his head with a “no,” while he reaches his hand over the seat in offering to Kyouka. Atsushi sees her take it out the corner of his eye, their fingers lacing together at her shoulder.

_ 'Ryu is well-mannered and handsome',_ Atsushi thinks,_ 'I don't know him but I'm sure I'm not much older.'_

Kyouka also has good manners, Atsushi knows because that's how Chuuya taught her. This lapse in judgement doesn’t change that. She must be feeling _overwhelmed_ and guilty to so stubbornly ignore her brother’s request. Then again, she’s a teenager and last time he checked, teenagers can be rather impulsive.

_Either way,_ he’s got a favor to complete for his friend and that means keeping Kyouka safe and getting her home.

“Are you guys hungry? It’ll take a little while but we could head to Stray Dogs on the way back home. I know Ichiyo is having a grill-night tonight.”

Kyouka shakes her head, “Uhm, no,” she speaks quickly, her voice sure, unyielding. “I may not be in the game anymore but I’m not leaving my brother, I don’t care what he told you.”

The corner of Atsushi’s mouth quirks at the familiar stubbornness. Kyouka is so much like Chuuya, so full of that _fierce_ determination that makes them such formidable pains in the ass.

He hums his assent, there’s no point lying to her now, he wouldn’t feel right if he did, “I respect your brother’s wishes, but I agree with you,” he says, coming up to a red light.

“I don’t think it’s the best idea to leave him here on his own, not with the potential danger this game encourages.” He looks over at her, sees the moment her shoulders sag with relief.

“Thank god.” She leans back into her seat as the light turns green and Atsushi catches Ryu’s smile in the rearview mirror.

The relieved moment passes quickly, Kyouka shifting her body to look over at him. “So what’re we going to do? Should we go find Chuuya?”

Atsushi opens his mouth to respond but is cut off by a loud blip in the car - an incoming call, and it transfers automatically to Bluetooth for easy access. He holds up his finger for silence. The voice that comes through is familiar and urgent.

_“Atsushi? It’s Ichiyo. What happened to Chuuya?”_ Atsushi’s brows furrow in confusion and he tightens his hands on the wheel, merging to the right to slow down.

Kyouka answers for him, words edged in immediate concern. “What do you mean, what happened to Chuuya?”

_ “Is that Kyouka?”_ Ichiyo asks.

“I’m taking her and Ryu home,” Atsushi says, “and Chuuya was fine, we just left him.” But that might not be the case now and it’s only been a few minutes.

He knows Ichiyo wouldn’t be stalling her work just to call, at least not with that worried tone, if Chuuya was alright.

“Boss, did something happen?” He pulls off to the side of the street and shifts into park. Kyouka’s on the edge of her seat, hands gripping her phone as she waits for the response.

They hear Ichiyo exhale as she tries to keep her voice calm, _“I was keeping tabs on the Players while you were at the party. I tried calling Chuuya before he took Kyouka’s dare, but he didn’t answer me. The streams went dead after that, until I saw Fyodor’s stream open up. You weren't there but Chuuya was. Fyodor was filming him and Chuuya tried to tell the police about the game, Fyodor said **‘snitches get stitches’** and his dare was to-”_ her voice dips low, highlighting her anger, _“-knock Chuuya out. I saw Chuuya hit the ground and Fyodor’s face, then the stream ended and I have no idea what happened.”_

“Oh shit,” Kyouka says. Atsushi shoots her a look, his eyebrow raised in question.

_“Kyouka,”_ Ichiyo calls out, _“Do you know what that means?”_

“When you sign up as a Player, the welcome video tells you that you either win, _you quit,_ or you fail. They expect you to follow the rules. If you don’t, if it gets too _dangerous_ and you think you can end it by telling the police, they’ll stop you. I didn’t try it obviously, but whoever runs this? I don’t think they’re lying when they say _**‘snitches get stitches.**_’ Fyodor’s just their pawn.”

When she looks up and meets Atsushi’s eyes, there’s a fire edged with fear in her gaze, “We have to find my big brother.”

Ryu leans forward, rubbing her shoulders. “We’ll find him. These people could be bluffing for all we know. He might be fine.” His voice is louder as he speaks. “Ichiyo, this is Ryu, Ryunosuke Akutagawa. Is there _anything_ we can do?”

_“Hey there Ryu,”_ she answers, _“I don’t know. We have no idea what they’ve done with him, if he’s okay or…ugh, I'm so worried about him.”_

Atsushi clears his throat, “Boss, don't worry, I have an idea. I think my tech-genuis friend can help us.”

Ichiyo hums, _“That'd be great Sushi, could your friend trace Chuuya’s cell?”_

“Yes, he can. We'll quickly head to his place and inform him of the situation. I'm sure Rampo can give us more advice on how to handle this situation.”

_ "That sounds like a good idea Sushi, keep me updated and stay safe. I need to get back to work now, bye,"_ Ichiyo clicks off as they say goodbye while Atsushi shoots an apologetic look towards the two sitting at the back.

"We're taking a detour," he sighs but neither of them complain, "Like I said, my friend will be able to help us and I'd think you guys would agree that we need all the help we can get."

Kyouka nods, "Yes, good thinking Atsushi! Let's go! It's time to kick some asses."

* * *

The first thing Chuuya registers is the _**pounding**_ of his head and pain around his left cheek and eye. Opening his eye hurts and it takes a second for the image to clear, but he can still see, _thank fuck._

He remembers what happened; Fyodor and a fist flying towards him: “no hard feelings”, he remembers the Russian bastard say to him.

_ 'Yeah right,'_ Chuuya scoffs, pushing himself up onto his knees to look around.

Wherever he is, it’s dimly lit - the only source of light is a neon glow emanating from the perimeter of the floor. He sees the first wall a few short feet ahead of him and then three others to his back and sides.

_ 'Oh no, oh fucking no!'_

His heart races as he scrambles up, throwing his weight at the wall in front of him. When it doesn’t move he flips back against it with a grunt, eyes shifting **rapidly** around the space.

He’s had nightmares about being locked-up since before his mother died: waking up in a box, _unable_ to escape. It’s bigger than a coffin, but it’s four suffocating walls and all he can think is to get out.

He can’t see anything, no latch, no opening, nothing to get him some fresh air. Deep breaths help a little to halt the panic, but his heart still _thunders_ in his chest and he keeps his eyes closed to center himself.

When Chuuya opens them he notices what he hadn’t before: his cell phone laying next to where he woke up. _Relief_ floods through him and he ducks to grab it, but freezes in place as the lights in the box go out. He can just feel his phone with his fingertips as they brush against the cold of the metal floor.

He reaches out, pressing a fingertip on the home-button to illuminate the screen. It turns out to be unnecessary because a second later the walls of the box are covered in flashing yellow neon. _**'Snitches get stitches'.**_

He stands up straight, the same computerized voice from the beginning of this game filters through some unseen speaker.

**_“Hello Chuuya. You’ve broken the rules. We told you not to snitch, now you are our prisoner. We control your life. We control your family. We control your future. The only way out is to win in the final round. Your job now is to wait for further instruction. See you in the finals.”_**

Something metallic shifts behind him and Chuuya sees _now_ what the panic _didn’t_ let him before: a handle on the bottom of a wall. He hurries to it and pulls up, wincing at the loud drag as the door whips upwards and he flies outside.

Fresh air fills his lungs as he leans on his knees, his eyes shut tight in relief. At least until a _frustratingly_ familiar voice breaks the silence.

“Chuuya?”

He doesn’t have to see Dazai to picture the look on his face as he speaks: puppy dog eyes and a small concerned frown. It’s aggravatingly _cute_ and irritating at the same time, and he’s not even looking at the bandage-bastard.

He focuses on the box he came out of instead of dealing with him. It’s a shipping container, all huge with chipped paint and set in the middle of a random fucking lot as far as he can tell.

Dazai doesn’t take the hint, “Chuuya, are you alright? _Listen,_ I’m sorry about-”

Chuuya really should let him finish, but he can’t stop himself as his anger flares, “Sorry about what? Are you sorry you didn’t tell me the _truth_ from the beginning or are you sorry you got caught?”

He’s being an asshole, he knows, but he’s so fucking **done** and his voice only grows louder, “Is Dazai even your real last name? I knew you were suspicious when you didn't tell me your first name. How did you find me?”

“Dazai _is_ my real name! I mean, my _real_ last name,” he yells back. He runs his fingers through his hair, tugging at the bewildered chocolate strands. “I found you because I followed them when they took you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth from the beginning. I _should_ have, but I didn’t know how long you’d be in the game and I didn’t want to bother you with my bullshit.”

Chuuya scoffs, not commenting on the fact that Dazai still hasn't told him his first name. Dazai doesn’t sound like he’s lying, but it’s still ridiculous.

“I’m their prisoner too, so will you at least hear me out?” Dazai pleads.

Chuuya shrugs, leaning against the exterior of the box. There’s no word on the final dare yet and he still has a bunch of mixed feelings despite the bullshit lies, _“Fine,”_ he concedes, "I'll hear you out and decide if I can forgive you afterwards."

Dazai exhales, walking closer to stand in front of Chuuya, “Last year, I joined Nerve because my adoptive mom got sick and I needed fast money. My father is never around, I _barely_ know him except that he's a boss in the illegal underworld. Fyodor is my adoptive brother, as _ridiculous_ as that sounds. Our mom couldn’t work anymore and we couldn’t afford her treatments so when I heard about the game, I thought it would be easy cash: get in, win, get out.”

He winces as he says it, rubbing a hand at the back of his neck, “Sorry about Fyodor by the way. _Uhm_ okay so, Fyodor also joined Nerve after while. He’s not really the asshole he’s acting like, but…at one point, he started caring **_less_** about helping me with mom and more about himself. We had a good relationship ever since we were adopted, we understood each other and had fun until…"

There’s a ghost of a smile before his face falls again, “My closest friend, Oda, joined. Oda was a good guy, not reckless but he thought he might beat us both if we burned ourselves out.”

Chuuya stays silent against the container, watches as a _haunted_ look settles on Dazai’s face. Chuuya doesn't like that look on Dazai, it certainly doesn't suit the brunette and he has a hard time settling his nerves.

“It was in the middle of the game when the _accident_ happened. We three were on the leaderboard together and things had been **ridiculous** but fun. I was going to win, or I was on track to at least win, and then we got a dare to go to Rose Park and climb one of the buildings that were still in the process of being built.”

Dazai moves, settling next to Chuuya and drops his head back against the wall, “We had to climb to the top and take a selfie with the skyline in the background.” He tosses his hands and Chuuya presses his shoulder against Dazai’s in silent comfort.

Chuuya _knows_ where this is going, he can tell it’s difficult for Dazai to relive his past and the last bit of his irritation melts away as Dazai continues, his voice quiet and regretful.

“The steel-poles were thin but strong, we were halfway up with me already at the top, Fyodor and Oda right behind and I thought it was all good. _Then_ I heard a **creak** below me and a **grunt** and when I looked down Oda had slipped. Fyodor had him by the hand, but there was nothing for him to drop Oda down on that side."

Dazai clenches his jaw, balls his fists and takes a deep breath as he continues, "I tried to get down to help, but it happened _too_ fast! Fyodor yelled and then Oda was falling and I watched him drop. He hit many poles and landed on a pile of bricks-”

Chuuya breathes in sharply. He can picture it and the image is fucking horrific. Dazai grabs his hand, though it doesn’t feel deliberate to Chuuya, just a subconscious impulse that Chuuya has no desire to push away.

“Fyodor was frozen. I called 911 and they came quickly, but it was too late. We tried to tell the authorities about Nerve, that it was dangerous and it’s why Oda was ki-killed. They just thought we were making the whole thing up. We _didn’t realize_ there were Watchers in the park too, near the building. They captured us when we were leaving and when we woke up, we were separated, both prisoners of the game.”

Dazai pushes off of the wall, still holding Chuuya’s hand in a vice-like grip, “Snitches get stitches,” he mutters, shaking his head with a slight sniffle. His eyes are wet, pricked with frustrated tears that Chuuya wants to wipe away.

He doesn’t though. It feels too much like erasing whatever sorrow Dazai feels, so he gives his hand a squeeze instead.

Dazai gives him a _sad_ smile, furiously wiping at his eyes with his free hand, “They take _everything, _Chuuya. Your money, your name, everything about you and your family belongs to them. They don’t care if someone dies in the process-”

“Dazai-”

“Sorry, I’m sorry. I just _miss_ him, you know? I’m okay. I’ll get out of this game eventually. But...it's really hard, not to feel guilty, not to blame myself for not being able to reject that dare.”

His voice drops, anger flitting across his features. “I’d tear it down if I could. Put a **stop** to this whole godforsaken thing and then everyone who’s trapped could move on.”

Chuuya nods. He’s mad at whoever the hell is behind this because where the hell do these people get off? How do they even have power like this?

“So I’m sorry, Chuuya, _sorry_ I didn’t tell you that right away when we partnered up. But I know what to do now,” their eyes meet and Dazai’s gaze is determined. “I’m going to help you win.”

He says it with a _sharp_ smile, like he’s getting back at someone, like a win for Chuuya is a victory for him too.

For Chuuya, it’s tempting. In the grand scheme, Dazai doesn’t matter really. He doesn’t mean anything compared to Kyouka and Chuuya’s responsibilities. But that thought leaves a bad taste in his mouth and _again_ he’s struck by how quickly Dazai has become a _consideration_ instead of an _obstacle._

So even though it’s what he should do, Chuuya can’t bring himself to take the offer. He lets go of Dazai’s hand.

“Listen Dazai, I appreciate it but-” he’s interrupted by Dazai’s phone. It’s another dare, Chuuya knows but before Dazai disappears, he has to tell him _no,_ that he’s been stuck in this game long enough and he can take care of himself.

“Perfect~” Dazai says, not letting Chuuya speak, “Listen, Chuuya, I’m going to take this dare and _whatever_ I get until the end, I’ll pass Fyodor up. It’ll be me and you in the final, and then you’ll win. I’ll get you out of here, okay? I promise.” He taps at his phone and starts backing away.

“Wait, Dazai!” but it’s too late, Dazai’s already running away, tossing a _‘see you soon’_ over his shoulder.

Chuuya sighs, “Damnit!" He takes out his phone and starts dialing. Kyouka picks up on the first ring.

“Sis? Please tell me you guys are still in the city.”

* * *

It turns out that Chuuya’s not far from where the party was and thankfully, neither are Atsushi, Kyouka, and Ryu. He makes his way out to a nearby street and in a few minutes Kyouka’s directions have Atsushi pulling quickly up to the curb where Chuuya waits.

Kyouka jumps out and launches herself at Chuuya, _nearly_ knocking him over.

“I’m sorry, big brother,” she whispers into his shoulder. He hugs her back tightly, pressing a kiss to her hair.

“Don’t worry about it,” He pulls away, thinking of Oda and the story Dazai told him. He’s just grateful his sister is alive and well. “Let’s get going, alright?”

Kyouka nods and Ryu pushes open the back door so she can slide in, while Chuuya takes her seat up front.

“Thanks, Sushi,” he says to Atsushi, “for doing all this.”

Atsushi nods in acknowledgment, but otherwise stays silent. Chuuya presses his head back against the leather headrest, closing his eyes with a _deep_ breath.

Kyouka clears her throat. “What happened, bro? Ichiyo called us and said Fyodor punched you?”

Chuuya sighs, rubbing at his still-throbbing face as he silently sends Ichiyo his mental thanks. She’s probably part of the reason why they’re still in the city.

“Yes. After you guys pulled away, I saw a cop car. I was so _pissed_ at this damn game, I thought maybe they’d help to get it shut down and we could all go the fuck home. _But_ when I told them about it, they just acted like assholes and completely ignored me. I was headed back to the car, then Fyodor was in my face. He knocked me out and when I woke up, I was in a shipping container. Dazai found me, he’d followed the people who brought me there, got me out of the box.”

“You’re not hurt other than your face? What about ‘snitches get stitches’?” Kyouka asks, concerned eyes scanning his face and clothes.

“It’s metaphorical, not literal,” Chuuya answers, staring out the window as the car starts moving. “They take your identity, your family’s identities, money, everything. You become their prisoner. So now my only way out is if I _win_ the final round.”

He tilts his head, casting a glance at Atsushi, “Dazai’s their prisoner. Fyodor too. The guy that died, it was an accident. When they tried to go to the police, whoever’s in charge did the _same_ thing to them that they’re doing to me.”

“They’re stuck until they win,” This time it’s Atsushi who speaks. It’s not a question and Chuuya knows his friend is considering the issue, that there are now three people vying for freedom. He puts his turn signal on, edging the car onto a larger street.

Chuuya makes an affirmative sound, “Basically. But Dazai…he wants to take the fall in the final round. He wants to help me get out.”

“And you want to help him get out,” Ryu’s voice is low and considerate. Chuuya quirks an eyebrow, tossing the boy a look over his shoulder as Kyouka stares, her eyes surprised.

Ryu laughs, looking between them. “I know I’m quiet, but I’m _not_ blind.”

“He’s right,” Kyouka shifts her eyes to Chuuya, giving him a pointed look. “Chuuya, you might not want to admit it or whatever, but I know you. You _really like_ this guy, don’t you?”

Chuuya doesn’t say anything, his cheeks are tainted and that’s all Kyouka needs for a sly smile to appear on her face. “Okay,” she says, clapping her hands, “Let’s shut this game down.”

He looks at her, curious, “How?”

Atsushi answers for her, “We're about to find out,” he says, and speeds up the car.

* * *

“You said they are your friends from college?” Chuuya asks as they pull up to their destination a little while later, an arcade called Night Shift.

It looks like every other arcade Chuuya’s ever seen with the neon lights and faded posters for games decorating the windows. People linger outside, smoking or on their phones and he can see more inside huddled around various games.

He’s not sure how the guy who runs this arcade will be any help to them, _but_ Atsushi wouldn’t have sent them here for no reason.

Atsushi shifts the car into park, “Ranpo and Edgar are the ones who helped Ichiyo and me sign-up for Nerve as Watchers.”

Chuuya nods and the four of them exit the car and head into the arcade. Kyouka goes straight to the desk, attended by a girl with long _black_ hair and an eggroll hanging half out of her mouth. When she sees them she pulls the roll out of her mouth and smiles.

“Hi there! I’m Naomi,” she says, leaning forward on the desk. “Welcome to Night Shift!"

Kyouka smiles back at her, “Hey, we’re looking for Ranpo and Edgar. Are they around?”

Naomi drops her egg roll back into her takeout container at her side, “Yep! Follow me.”

She rounds the corner of the desk and walks backward, facing them, “They're trying to beat the high score on Galaga. Well...Poe has been trying for a few years now but, Ranpo always beats him.”

Chuuya slows down to walk next to Atsushi, his voice low as Naomi babbles on, “So Sushi, any idea what Ranpo could do for us?”

“Now you’re skeptical of someone? You went right off with Dazai, no questions asked.” Atsushi snides and Chuuya narrows his eyes.

“Oh, shut up,” he watches Naomi dodge a group of younger kids, turning right down a row lined with even more of them, “But point taken.”

He sees Atsushi smirk and shakes his head, focusing on Naomi’s path through the games.

They _hear_ the mysterious Ranpo before they _see_ him, a cackle echoes in front of them, followed by a thump and Chuuya can just see a fist pump into the air.

Naomi turns around at the end of the line of games, stepping to the side as she gestures towards two figures stationed at a Galaga machine, “This is the boss. Ranpo, you’ve got visitors!”

Ranpo jumps excitedly as he turns towards the group, “Naomi, did you see that! Poe finally beat me! _Oh boy,_ now I owe him~!”

Chuuya watches as the raven-man moves back to enter the initials of the other man on the scoreboard, Ranpo's face is set in a snicker as he types.

“Now,” Ranpo grins at them, “What can I do for you?” When he spots Chuuya and Kyouka, his face _lights_ up in recognition. “You two! You’re Players!”

Ranpo claps his hands and steps closer to them, “You’re Chuuya! You must be Atsushi’s short-and-feisty friend!” Ranpo lowers his voice and although Chuuya’s only been near him for a few minutes, he gets the idea this doesn’t happen often.

“I’ve been watching you. I was thinking of joining myself, but Poe was so _worried_ so I thought it might be better if I stuck around here.”

Atsushi steps forward, reaching his hand out to Ranpo, “We appreciate you doing so. If you don’t mind cutting to the chase, do you have somewhere we can speak privately?”

Ranpo shakes his hand and gestures to a door a little ways down from them, “Right this way.”

The room Ranpo takes them to is darkly lit and full of computers. People cluster around several of them, laughing and talking amongst themselves. They shout greetings when they see Ranpo and a few wave at the group, but they generally _ignore_ the arrival of new people.

“So how can I help you?” Ranpo asks as he heads over to an empty desk in the corner. He sits down in the chair with a glint in his eye. “Is this for Nerve? Is it going to be dangerous?”

Ranpo looks at Chuuya curiously, “I assume this is about that sexy brunette, Dazai. Is that why he’s not here?”

He eyes Ranpo wearily, but starts to explain, “We need your help to shut down Nerve. Dazai told me what happened in the last round of the game, that he and that guy _Fyodor_ tried to go to the police after their friend died. Now they’re prisoners. Whoever runs this fucking game has total control of them, their money, names, their family - _they’re_ stuck playing until they win.”

He watches Ranpo's expression go from _wildly thrilled_ to disgusted yet interested, like he’s mad it’s possible but the how of it is still fascinating.

“And you want to get Dazai out?” Ranpo gives him a knowing look over the glasses he wears, and Chuuya swears under his breath. _'_

_ 'Am I really that obvious?'_

Ranpo laughs, “You guys are so cute together.”

He shakes his head at Ranpo, feeling embarrassed. Ranpo's ridiculous, but he’s also right.

Chuuya coughs, “Dazai wants to give up his chance to get out so that _I_ can. I just want this fucking thing over with. No one else gets hurt, no one else gets trapped. We shut it down and walk away.”

“Is it even possible?” Atsushi asks.

Chuuya crosses his arms, “I hope it's possible, we'll do _whatever_ it takes.”

The door they came in through opens and Edgar comes in carrying a bag of takeout.

“Poe,” Ranpo calls, “perfect timing!”

When Edgar notices them he smiles, heading for the desk and dropping the bag on its surface. He pulls out a container, pops the lid and pulls out a fork, sliding it in front of Ranpo.

“Eat,” he says, then looks to the group, “Hi, I’m Edgar. Or you can call me Poe, whichever is fine.” He looks at Chuuya and Kyouka, _recognition_ settling there the same way it had for Ranpo.

“Are you two out of the game? I was sure at least _one_ of you would be going to the final.” Before either can answer, Ranpo speaks up.

“Poe, they want to end the game. Did we figure out how they were keeping it going?” Ranpo stabs his fork into a piece of chicken, shoving it in his mouth.

Edgar nods, "We figured out that the game isn’t a massive server based unit. _Every_ watcher that signs up for Nerve acts as their own server, so we _can’t_ just find the backdoor to it and close up shop.”

Chuuya hears Ryu groan behind him, “So you’re saying you’d need a mass exit…” he smacks his head and Chuuya tosses him a _surprised_ look.

“Exactly,” Edgar agrees, “To get it down, we’d need to get _every single_ watcher to disconnect at roughly the same time.”

“How do you even do that?” Chuuya asks.

It sounds fucking impossible and Chuuya wants to yell. He didn’t expect it to be one and done, but fuck if he thought it would be like this.

Ranpo pops out of his seat and heads over to where Edgar stands, squaring them with a mischievous look, “_Well_ Chuuya, The Great Detective Ranpo always have a plan~”

_ **To Be Continued... ** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was wild! I would like to hear your thoughts and opinions please <3
> 
> All rights reserved to the creators of Nerve, Bungou Stray Dogs and @/shingekino_neon


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nerve is finally shut down, although Dazai nearly has a heart failure. Also, introducing Fyodor in a better light.
> 
> Additional Warnings for: cussing, violence, boys kissing, mentions of guns and fake-death.

The street is _unusually_ deserted when Chuuya heads out of the arcade on his own, the small clusters of people that were there earlier is now missing.

He wonders briefly how many, if any, of them are Watchers, if they’re watching him now from somewhere he can’t see. He wonders how many will be there when the final dare happens.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he makes his way down the sidewalk with no particular destination. Aside from the sound of cars a few streets down, it’s silent and while it should help him feel calm, it just makes him feel more overwhelmed.

He doesn’t know if this plan is going to work, doesn’t know if they’ll be able to free Fyodor and Dazai and himself in the process, but he knows he can trust his friends. If they believe in Ranpo and Edgar, he guesses he should too.

Before he left, Chuuya had checked the leaderboard to see Dazai’s name just below his. They hadn’t been watching his stream, focusing instead on formulating a plan but whatever he did when he promised Chuuya he’d help, it worked. Chuuya’s just glad at least that went right.

His phone goes off as he rounds the corner of the street, a bright yellow message greeting him as he takes his phone out. Welcome to the final round,** 'Head to the Los Angeles Public Library',** there’s no option to deny or accept, so he knows there’s no getting out, even if he wanted to.

No timer shows up either, but he rolls his shoulders, bringing up the directions on his phone and takes off at a run.

When he arrives at the library, there’s a few more people milling about outside than he expects. They sit on the stairs at a fountain and linger near the entrance up in the distance. He scans the area, running, counting the people he sees and looking to see if any are familiar.

They’re _not,_ but he doesn’t have to worry about it because his phone is going off and the message there has nothing to do with people.

'**_A package is waiting for you at the fountain. Take it and proceed to the Hollywood Pacific Theatre.'_**

Again there’s no timer, but Chuuya can’t focus on that because he looks up in time to see one of the people near the water dash away, a small brown bag laying in their place. He _narrows_ his eyes, casting another glance around him. It’s even more irritating - the idea that he really can’t know who’s a part of the game.

There’s nothing he can do so he jogs over to the fountain and snatches the package before anyone innocent notices.

Sticking to the shadows, he walks quickly away from the library. He chances a quick look in the bag, though he doesn’t really have to; the shape of the object inside is unmistakable and he sucks in a breath.

He can just see the line of the gun, his jaw tensing as he crumples the bag in his fist. He’s **never** held a gun before and if he’s honest, the thought of even pointing one in someone’s direction makes him sick. When Ranpo told them the plan, he’d bristled at the first mention of the weapon.

But he realizes how fucked up Nerve is, and that it’ll take something just as fucked up to get what they need.

He doesn’t know if it’ll pay off or if he’ll get shot in the process and the whole thing then being for nothing.

_'What happens if the people in charge finds out what they’re doing? Will they mess everything up, find a way to keep me in the game? What happens if I gets shot for real? Will they free the person responsible for a ‘win’, or screw with them too?'_

Chuuya shakes his thoughts away and heads for the street. It’ll take him too long to get where he needs to on foot, so he’ll need to find a ride. There’s cabs going this way and that on the crowded street, but none near him are open. Either way, they’re his best bet short of grand theft auto.

While he waits for an opening to grab a taxi, Chuuya thinks about Dazai. _'Has he ever used a gun before? Is he freaking out, those auburn eyes burning and frustrated as he makes his way to the theatre? Dazai’s mostly likely trying to figure out what to do, how to not use the weapon that probably feels like dead weight.'_

Chuuya knows it’s ridiculous to be so certain of someone so quickly, but he is. Dazai may have omitted the truth, but beyond that they’ve done the same thing tonight haven’t they? Used each other and then realized there was something more there?

He sees a cab on it’s way to him and sticks his arm out to hail it down. Dazai won’t fuck him over, he knows it. But damn Ranpo and his fucking plan with guns. It makes him jittery. _'If any part of this goes badly…'_

The cab pulls up in front of him and he slides in, holding the gun tight in his lap, “Hollywood Pacific Theatre, as fast as you can.”

* * *

As far as Chuuya knows, the Pacific Theatre has been closed down for a number of years, _abandoned_ even though it’s located smack on Hollywood Boulevard.

He also knows that trespassing is still very much a thing with abandoned buildings, so he’s not sure how exactly they’re getting in without a law enforcement clusterfuck happening, but he can't bring himself to care.

The building is **dark** from the outside when his cab pulls up nearly 20 minutes later, lit only by nearby streetlights and the headlights of passing cars. It makes him weary, but he tosses his money at the driver and slides out, the brown bag clutched in his hand.

The front of the theatre is blacked out by barred gates, the only viable entrance is a single door hidden in the blockade. He breathes deep and looks around him at the few people making their way past the theatre on either side of the street, then when he’s sure no one will notice, wraps his knuckles quickly on the door.

A girl opens it, poking her head out to peer down at Chuuya. She grins, like she’s genuinely glad to see him.

“We’ve been waiting for you!” She pulls the door open enough for him to slip through into the dimly lit lobby, then shuts it tightly behind them and flips the locks. “I just need to see the package before you head up.”

Chuuya shoots her a surprised look. She _can’t_ be more than Kyouka’s age, yet here she is, asking to see the fucking gun like it’s some normal thing.

He hands her the bag and she slips the piece out with an approving nod, “Good, you’re all set!” She hands him the gun and crumples the bag in one hand, gesturing with the other to a set of stairs down the hall.

“Go right up those steps and through the double doors,” she says with a wink. “The _final_ dare awaits.”

Pointing the gun at the floor, he nods almost imperceptibly at her and turns away. Around him the interior of the theatre is fading, all chipped paint and debris strewn about,caused by an earthquake Chuuya remembers vaguely. There was enough damage to take the building out of commission.

Whatever furniture there was must have been stolen or tossed in the trash and it leaves the inside feeling deserted, _desolate_ in a way that contrasts so oddly to the muffled noise he can hear coming from up ahead.

He takes the stairs slowly and as he does, he can hear the crowd inside grow louder and louder. They cheer for something or someone, he can’t tell what, but it makes his skin crawl. He feels like he’s walking into some _gruesome ritual_ and he tells himself over and over again that there’s a plan.

_'I just has to follow the plan',_ It doesn’t stop the itch under his skin or the gun from feeling like a dead weight in his hand, warm and pressing.

Chuuya hates the feel of it.

A guy waits at the doors at the top of the second set of stairs, his eyebrow _quirked_ as Chuuya comes to stand on the landing next to him. He speaks quickly, like Chuuya’s been a thorn in his side all night long.

“Took you long enough. Ready?” He doesn’t even wait for an answer, just places his hands on the doors and shoves them open without warning.

The lighting inside the theatre is dark and Chuuya has to let his eyes adjust to the difference as the crowd inside cheers. Ahead of him is an aisle that separates two large sections of seats, both filled with silhouetted Watchers.

More Watchers stand in the balconies set into the upper-part of the walls. He can see some of them staring at him in the dim light that reaches from the hallway, nameless faces that make him want to turn right back out the door.

He can’t though, because at the other end of the room, under the gigantic movie screen is a stage and Dazai is at the center of it, turning this way and that. Spotlights from above the stage glare down at him as he moves and Chuuya notices patches of something dark staining the crisp button up he wears.

Chuuya _can’t_ see his face, but he _can_ see the familiar shape and glint of silver in Dazai’s back pocket.

His stomach sinks, but he takes a few steps into the theatre and the double doors swing closed behind him.

“Chuuya?” Dazai calls out to him, his hand above his eyes to block out what light he can.

Chuuya tries to respond, but a loud chord of synth blares from the theatre’s old speaker system. It’s a signal and Chuuya takes off down the aisle, running to meet Dazai on the stage. The light above them goes out and this time the delivery of the dare is different.

It doesn’t appear on their phones, no short trill or small neon message to give them a choice. Instead, the words appear on the movie screen, the large yellow letters offensively bright in the dark. The dare is disgusting in its simplicity:_** 'Shoot your opponent.'**_

It’s _Dazai_ who reacts first. His voice is soft and pleading and he smiles sadly as he takes Chuuya’s hand, “Hey, we talked about this. You’re _going_ to win and you’re going to get the hell away from this game.”

There’s something in his voice, a thread of tenacity in the face of fucked-up-shit that has the corner of Chuuya’s mouth twitching up in spite of himself. A small point of light appears at the corner of his vision and he turns in time to see more rise to join it.

_'Flashlights',_ he guesses, from each of the Watchers’ phones, and they cast a wave of bright light directly onto the stage.

It’s nearly blinding and Chuuya feels like a deer in the headlights, waiting for something terrible to come barrelling towards him.

“I _really_ don’t want to do this,” Chuuya says as Dazai starts backing up, the crowd roaring louder around them. A timer appears on the screen - ten seconds.

_'Damnit!' _

The grin Dazai gives him is **terrible** and forced, like he’s trying desperately to convey some semblance of confidence, “Just try not to kill me, yeah?” he retorts.

Eight seconds left.

Chuuya scoffs._ 'The plan, follow the plan.'_ He hates this game, hates that people are actually willing to support this shit to the point that it calls for extremes, that they’re waiting for him and Dazai to shoot each other like it’s some kind of sport.

But Chuuya does what he’s supposed to and raises his gun, aiming for Dazai’s shoulder because he can’t bear to aim anywhere else. It _still_ amazes him that Dazai is willing to do this for him, that even though they’re basically in the same situation, he’s willing to take the loss and let Chuuya do what he has to for his family.

Even though it won’t happen, it’s not lost on Chuuya that if things were different, he could kill Dazai here - he could kill him and then Chuuya would have blood on his hands and he’d never get to see the brunette again. _No_ sarcastic humor or ridiculous logic, _no_ singing on tables or car make-out sessions.

Around him the crowd calls out as his heart thunders inside his chest like a herd of horses. “Three...two...one…!” the people chant.

Chuuya doesn’t pull the trigger, just drops the gun at his side to Dazai’s confusion and the sound of disappointed shouts. The timer stays put on 0:00.

“Chuuya, why-” Dazai starts.

“I _won’t_ do it! I’m not hurting you.”

Dazai shakes his head at that, but Chuuya can see the suspicion in his eyes. He needs Dazai to _naturally_ play this part, even though it’s horribly unfair to keep him in the dark.

Someone in the crowd stands up, the beam of light from their flashlight shifting erratically. Their shout breaks through the disgruntled murmur of their peers, “What’s wrong with you? Shoot him!”

Dazai turns in the direction of the Watcher’s voice, squinting his eyes, “Why don’t _you_ come down here and do it yourself, you coward! Come down here and show us all how _goddamn_ brave you are!”

The response is a chorus of shouts, angry and chaotic in the faceless crowd.

Then a voice cuts through it all, catching the theatre off guard.

“**Blah,** _blah,_ blah!” The pair looks up to see Fyodor, standing at the railing of one of the balconies.

“So angry!” He says it with a smirk, looking down at the people around him and Chuuya can tell by Dazai's clenched jaw and fists that Dazai wants to knock the look right off of Fyodor.

“_Clearly_ they’re not that interested in winning,” Fyodor calls out and some of the crowd shouts their agreement. He nods at them, pointing to himself, “But I sure as hell am!”

He whips out a gun from the waist of his pants, holding it above his head as he points his finger at Dazai and Chuuya.

“Who wants to see me shoot one of them?” he says in a **sinister** tone.

The crowd cheers and Chuuya has to grab Dazai by the arm as the brunette head towards Fyodor.

“Don’t.” Chuuya warns.

Dazai whips his head towards Chuuya, searching his eyes.

“But he’s out of his…” Dazai stops and together they watch the screen above them change. It looks like a poll: _**'Should Fyodor take the dare instead? Yes or No',** _followed by a timer that gives the Watchers thirty seconds to vote.

The audience claps and shouts as Fyodor starts gesturing between the two of them, gauging which one of them should be his target by listening to the Watcher’s applause.

Their enthusiasm pisses Chuuya off but he gives Fyodor a minute to do his part in their plan, then steps out in front of Dazai, shouting to get their attention.

“What the fuck is _wrong_ with you people? You think because you’re hiding behind some bullshit screen that you’re _not_ responsible for this? Not responsible for every single fucked-up thing that happens in this game? _Well_ here’s a goddamn newsflash, you are! This, whatever happens here is on your hands.”

He looks at Dazai, silent, with that fire in his eyes that gives Chuuya all the more courage to keep going, to play his part, “There may be no proof, but every day you’ll remember you were a part of this, that you encouraged people to do dumb shit that got them hurt, that you were _responsible_ for what might be a fucking death.”

He makes eye contact with who he can, but the vast majority of the people in both the balconies and floor sections are invisible to him, “Ask yourself if you can live with that before you make a choice. No regrets.”

A loud noise sounds as the timer hits zero some seconds later and a giant _**YES**_ replaces the numbers. From behind him, Chuuya feels Dazai grab his hand and squeeze.

Up in the balcony, Fyodor barks out a laugh and drops down to the floor in a crouch, “I don’t know about you,” he says eyeing Chuuya and strutting to the stage, “but I won’t regret a thing.”

Chuuya raises his eyebrows at him._ 'Wow, the guy is good at acting.'_

_“Think_ you’re fucking invincible, yeah? No regrets, no fuck ups?” Fyodor doesn’t respond, just puts his nose in the air like he’s so much better than them and lets Chuuya continue. “Okay you dimwit, then I dare you to shoot me.”

There’s a collective moment of silence in the theatre, enough for him to hear Dazai’s voice alone, “Chuuya, no! What are you doing?”

There’s another loud sound as the screen reveals a new dare, _**'Shoot Chuuya Nakahara',**_ with another ten seconds to get it done.

Dazai starts to speak again, but Fyodor is already moving, pointing the gun at Chuuya. His smile is _wicked_ as he looks at him, closing one eye to take aim.

“You got it.” Fyodor smirks.

Chuuya gives Dazai one last look, sees the wild confusion is his eyes as the brunette shift to move towards Fyodor, probably stepping in to block the Russian's path. _But it’s too late,_ there’s a **flash** and a **bang** and then Chuuya’s dropping, curling in on himself to grab at his side as he squeezes his eyes shut.

The crowd _gasps_ as one and Chuuya peeks out, listens to the shuffle as Dazai and Fyodor hit the floor in front of the stage. He shifts a little, watching Fyodor’s gun skid noisily away from them, a metallic scraping juxtaposed to the sickly muted thud of Dazai’s fist connecting with Fyodor’s face.

He cringes as Dazai punches him again, then exhales when he shoves away from Fyodor, crawling towards Chuuya with a devastated expression.

“Oh god, Chuuya. _Chuuya_ please!" Dazai’s looking at him, but he’s not really seeing him, his frantic and watery eyes are the last thing Chuuya sees before he lets his own fall shut again.

_'It’s okay, Dazai, it’ll be okay',_ Chuuya thinks.

He feels himself being tugged forward and up, then a tight warmth as Dazai holds him in his arms.

“I’m sorry, Chuuya, I’m _so_ sorry!” His voice is raspy and Chuuya thinks maybe he’s actually crying.

In the middle of everything, it’s good to know he’s made just as much an impression on Dazai as the brunette made on him.

* * *

Atsushi is a nervous wreck, but he has to trust in their plan. Each of the computer screens is a wall of fast moving text and he can see IP addresses and several sets of codes scrolling rapidly.

Ranpo drops his head back to look up at him, “You know how each of the Watchers was acting as an individual server? _Well_ Edgar figured out how to break through the multilayer encryption the game was using to pull real IPs and data. It’s tricky, but we’ll be able to send them all a private message just like we planned.”

Then Ranpo's eyes light up and he claps his hands excitedly, “You know, Chuuya and Fyodor played their parts _so well_ that the crowd is completely silent. It’s perfect!” he motions to a flat screen on the wall in front of them where they’re running one of Nerve’s streams.

Atsushi knows the plan, _knows_ that Chuuya is just acting for the sake of succeeding, but seeing him act like he’s truly injured - held tightly in Dazai’s arms as the brunette cries above him - it makes him feel sorry for Dazai.

What’s worse is that Dazai doesn’t even seem to realize that Chuuya _isn’t_ bleeding. He must be so traumatised, so scared of losing someone who’s quickly become important to him that he isn’t paying attention. Atsushi doesn’t blame him although now that he's seen the brunette's _genuine reaction,_ he feels guilty for doubting Dazai.

Edgar clears his throat, “Chuuya is fine. He did very well and the other guy Fyodor came through just like Chuuya said he would.”

He nods at him, knowing that underneath his composure Edgar’s also bothered by the sight, everybody in the room is bothered by the sight. The sick feeling in the pit of his stomach lessens, but he _still_ wants to get this over with as fast as they’re able.

Atsushi turns back to Edgar and Ranpo, “Okay, what do you need from me?”

Edgar smiles up at him, “Can you help us get the message set up? We’re nearly done linking to the Watchers’ individual servers and Ranpo is almost connected to that _main_ line in the theatre. You get that message rigged-up and we’ll broadcast immediately.” He gestures to the computer next to him where the scrolling information has settled on a single open window awaiting use.

Atsushi settles into a seat and gets to work, fingers moving rapidly over keys. His eyes flick to the television screen every few seconds to make sure Chuuya’s alright, but _otherwise_ he’s able to finish the set up rather quickly. Giving Ranpo the all clear on his end, he stands up and heads closer to the television.

Dazai is speaking, still clutching an unmoving Chuuya to his chest.

“Do you see what you’ve done?” Dazai cries out and Atsushi **winces** at the force of it. He wishes they could have told him before all this, but he makes himself keep watching anyway.

“Was this _worth_ it for you? All fun and games? _Well_ you can’t take it back! There’s no goddamn do-over, you fucking assholes!” His voice cracks on the last part and he looks down at Chuuya’s face, mouth forming words that Atsushi can’t hear.

His heart wrenches in his chest. _'Dazai really does care about Chuuya',_ he thinks and Kyouka comes to stand next to him, their shoulders brushing.

“I _hate_ seeing him like that,” she mutters, “I know it’s exactly what we needed, but I don’t ever want to see my big brother like this again.”

“I know, Kyouka,” Atsushi gives her a small smile. “This will all be over soon, okay?”

Behind them Ranpo cackles, pointing excitedly at the screen, “Alright Sushi, my little computer wiz, let's initiate the callout!”

* * *

Lying to Dazai like this has Chuuya’s skin crawling. It’s _horrible_ to make him believe he’s been shot, but it’s almost over. Chuuya just has to stay still. He just has to keep acting like he’s dead, eyes closed and unmoving until his friends come through.

If he stays like that, quietly curled in on himself, Dazai hopefully won’t realize that something is off. So far, he hasn’t checked Chuuya for any blood, hasn’t felt for a wound or a heartbeat. The only thing Dazai’s done is hold him and Chuuya chalks Dazai’s inattentiveness to the adrenaline and emotion he has to be feeling.

_'It’s fine',_ Chuuya tells himself,_ 'It’s exactly what we needed.'_

“Damnit, Chuuya,” Dazai says, tears rolling from his cheeks to drop onto Chuuya’s face. “I’m s-sorry, I should have told you to quit when we met, to run as far away as you could from this fucking game.”

It’s true; he probably should have. But Chuuya made his own choice. The whole night he’s made his own choices and the last thing he’s going to do is hold any of them against Dazai.

He stays still as Dazai continues, “I wish we could have-” Music floods through the speakers, interrupting Dazai and Chuuya nearly sighs in relief.

Above him, Dazai turns slightly and stares at the screen. Chuuya peeks, just able to see the words there.

_ **'You are all accessories to murder.'** _

It’s the first step and Chuuya knows that right now the second step is happening: a private call-out to all the Watchers, letting them know their identity and involvement in Nerve will be publicized. Chuuya’s not even sure they’ve figured out how to do that, he knows they were counting on the Watchers’ humanity here.

There’s a single sharp intake of breath from the crowd, his only sign that something further has happened than what he can see.

“_Whoah,_ what?” Dazai’s confused voice is soft and Chuuya wants to reach up, wipe the wetness from Dazai’s eyes and kiss him just for existing. He only has to wait a little bit more…

The audience murmurs around them, voices low as they discuss what's going on. All they have to do is log out. That’s all Chuuya’s friends need to free him and the others, to shut-down the game and every single one of its servers.

_'Come on',_ Chuuya urges silently, _'Come on, just fucking leave, please.'_

He hears Dazai whisper in confusion, “What are they doing?” before the soft thud of footsteps break the relative silence.

Dazai’s grip loosens around his body, “They’re all leaving…”

“Well they _finally_ realize how fucked up this game is,” a voice says as the crowd’s noise dissipates. It’s Fyodor and Chuuya listens while he makes his way up to the stage, Dazai **tensing** around him.

“You wanna get up, Nakahara? Dazai looks like someone just stabbed him in the heart.” Fyodor retorts.

“What are you-” Dazai begins, but Chuuya shifts in his arms, rolling his head to look at Fyodor.

“I hear you,” he says. He looks back up at Dazai, who’s frozen in place, his brows furrowed and mouth hanging open.

Chuuya raises his hand, gently closing Dazai’s mouth, “Yes, I know. _Before_ you lose your shit, will you let me explain?” Dazai nods like it’s the only thing he can do and Chuuya sits up to rest next to his kneeling form.

“After you ran off, I called my sister. She and the others weren't far so they came to get me and uh, I told them the truth about Oda.” He pauses, sending Fyodor an apologetic look. “That was horrible and you two were only trying to do the right thing. I couldn’t let you throw away your shot to get out.”

Dazai goes to argue, but Chuuya holds up a finger, “It _wasn’t_ happening, Dazai. So I told my friends about how I wanted to help you and it turned out my friend knew someone who could and they _figured out_ that we could end the game if we somehow got every Watcher to log out. The system would have no servers left to function and the round would be dead. So they came up with a plan, which by the way, I did not suggest the guns, but it needed to be something dangerous to sway the crowd…”

Chuuya trails off, a pang in his chest as Dazai’s face shifts to an understandably betrayed expression, “I know, I’m sorry. It was a _gamble_ and I wanted to tell you but they needed your reaction to be genuine if the Watchers were going to respond.”

Taking a deep breath, he continues, “I _knew_ you wouldn’t shoot me and I sure as shit wasn’t going to shoot you, so I suggested Fyodor. You told me he was playing a part and he’d given Kyouka his number in case she wanted to partner up like we had.”

Fyodor puts his hands up, “Nothing dirty, just strategic.”

Chuuya smirks, but it fades just as fast as it came, “He agreed to help. My friends sent in the dare, got the ball rolling and that's it. You were here for the rest.”

Dazai _trembles_ slightly as he nods, his face shifting with mixed emotion. It’s shock, frustration, relief; a myriad of things that Chuuya wishes he could have prevented in the first place.

He reaches out and laces his fingers through Dazai’s, but stays silent. He _knows_ it’s a lot, but he’s confident Dazai will see why he went along with it in the first place.

Fyodor crouches down, placing a hand on Dazai’s shoulder when the brunette doesn’t respond.

“I’m sorry I had to do that, Dazai. I just fired off a blank. It looked brutal, _I know,_ but brother, this guy,” he says, shooting Chuuya an appreciative look, “he’s known you what? Six hours tops? For _whatever_ reason, he cares about your crazy ass.”

Fyodor lowers his voice, softer as he squeezes Dazai’s shoulder, “We’ve been through a lot together, you and me. I know this is rough, and it hasn’t been long, but _trust me_ when I say you shouldn’t hold this against him. If you feel something, don’t waste time.”

Chuuya tries not to listen, but he hears every word. Fyodor’s advice is unexpected, though he knows Dazai much better than Chuuya, knows what he needs to hear; and Chuuya would be lying if he said the advice isn’t good.

Dazai closes his eyes and takes a deep, slow breath, “No, I know, I, I, Fyodor, it was like Oda all over again. Except…” He casts Chuuya a wounded, but yearning glance, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. “Wow, Chuuya. I thought you were _dead_ and I just shut down. I didn’t even think you could be acting. It was-”

Dazai's voice **cracks** and Chuuya leans forward to rest his forehead against Dazai’s.

“We’re okay, Dazai,” Chuuya murmurs. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry and I don’t blame you for being upset. But you’re free now, so I don’t regret a goddamn thing.”

Dazai sniffs, squeezing Chuuya’s hand.

“How do you know they won’t start again? How do you know they won’t _use_ our information to try to keep us prisoner?” Dazai asks and this is the part Chuuya hates, because they don’t know whether Nerve will be built back up or if it ends here.

They can’t guarantee that Dazai’s or Fyodor’s or Chuuya’s information won’t be used against them, but there is something and Chuuya clears his throat.

“It’s possible that a new friend of mine might be able to help. He told me as much before I headed here. _New_ identities, _new_ information, he thinks he can keep us off the grid at the very least. You don’t have to worry, Dazai.”

“That sounds good,” he whispers, blinking hard and pressing himself further into Chuuya. Next to them, Fyodor coughs and stands up straight.

“You two look like you need a minute, so I’m gonna head out.” He tips his head at Chuuya. “You’ve got my number Nakahara. If you need me, just shoot me a text.” He smiles at Dazai and holds out his hand.

Turning away from Chuuya, Dazai takes it and Fyodor pulls him up and into a hug. When they break, Fyodor steps back, hopping off the stage with a smile, “I guess it’s time to head home, yeah? I’ll see you around, Dazai.”

“See ya later, Fyo-bro~” Dazai says, smiling back.

It’s only after Fyodor leaves and they’re left alone in the quiet of the theatre, that Dazai turns back to look at Chuuya.

Chuuya stands up, Dazai’s gaze following him as he comes to stand in front of him. He waits for Dazai to speak first, but the brunette just wraps his arms around Chuuya instead.

They stay like that until Dazai pulls back, taking Chuuya’s face in his hands, “Please don’t do that to me again.”

It’s the wrong time to tease, Chuuya knows, but he can’t stop the corners of his mouth from quirking as he stares into Dazai’s eyes.

He tries to keep his voice even as he speaks. “Don’t do what?”

Dazai tries to keep his face _straight_ but he laughs in spite of himself, shaking his head as his mouth settles into a reluctant smile, “Stop. I’m serious. Don’t _fake-die_ on me, don’t _real-die_ on me, just...**don’t,** okay? I can’t take it.”

Chuuya cocks a brow, “It’s been _less than_ a day that we've known each other," he says, though he doesn’t have to because they’re both **heavily** aware of that fact.

“I don’t care.” Dazai leans in, his lips hovering above Chuuya’s, whose heart beats hard in his chest. “I want you anyway~”

In answer, Chuuya closes the distance between them, catching Dazai’s lips between his own. It’s just as good as before, slow and full in a way that has a fire burning low in Chuuya’s stomach.

But there’s something lighter about it too; a _softness_ that comes with the absence of the game’s pressure.

Dazai smiles against his lips and Chuuya groans as his phone rings in his pocket.

He answers the call reluctantly, eyeing Dazai’s lips as he does. The call is from Atsushi, but he seems to be on speaker, a variety of voices filtering through the receiver.

“Hello?” he greets.

_ “Chuuya?”_ It’s Atsushi who speaks first. _“We did it! Everything is shut down.” _

Before Chuuya can even respond, Kyouka chimes in, _“Never do that to me again, big brother.”_

“Kyouka-” he starts, but for some reason no one wants to let him speak and Kyouka continues.

_ “Now will you please come back so I can hug you? I want to go home.”_

“You’re ridiculous,” he tells her, “but yes, I think so. Tell everyone that we said thank you, okay?” With that they hang up and Chuuya looks to Dazai.

“Are you ready?” he asks Dazai It’s time to go back to Ranpo’s, time to see what the next step is.

Dazai laughs loudly, his auburn eyes are bright, “I think that’s my line,” he says, but he holds his hand out to Chuuya and steps off the stage, backing slowly up the aisle. “Coming, shortie?”

With a smirk, Chuuya follows after him. He _can’t believe_ how much has happened in the last couple of hours; good, bad, whatever.

He doesn’t regret any of it - he can’t, because in the end, he and his sister are safe, and his friends are _incredible;_ because the feel of Dazai’s fingers lacing through his is worth going through it all over again.

Somewhere in the back of his head, Chuuya does **worry** that this won’t last, that his and Dazai’s connection is just adrenaline and after they talk to Ranpo, the brunette will go back to his life and forget all about him.

But as Dazai pulls him through the empty theatre and out onto the street, a wide grin stretching his mouth, Chuuya regrets even thinking about doubting Dazai.

He takes a deep breath of fresh air and reaches up to press a kiss to Dazai’s jaw as he pulls out his car keys.

_'We'll figure out what we need to, whether it be money, time, anything…'_

But for now he focuses on Dazai’s warmth and the clear feeling of freedom that settles in his bones.

_ **To Be Continued... ** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emotional Dazai, I'm sorry you had to go through that!
> 
> What did you guys think of this chapter? 
> 
> All rights reserved to the creators of Nerve, Bungou Stray Dogs and @/shingekino_neon


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is more laid-back, the aftermath of everyone's lives in the wake that Nerve brought. Also, Chuuya sees a new side in Dazai.
> 
> Enjoy <3

Sitting on the back steps of Stray Dogs Diner, Chuuya checks his watch. His break is over in a second, twenty minutes has gone faster than he realizes and he stands up, looking out at the mountains in the distance.

The rising sun casts everything in a pink light and Chuuya _appreciates_ the scene in a way he didn’t before. With a sigh, he turns and hauls open the door, slipping quickly behind the counter.

“Hey Chuuya, your corner booth is free,” Atsushi says, skirting by to snag a stack of napkins. He thanks him and finishes tying his apron back around his waist.

He looks over to see his section dotted with customers; a few people, but thankfully not too busy. It’s a _nice_ start to the second half of his shift, especially when he knows how busy it’ll be in just a few hours. Atsushi catches his eye through the kitchen passthrough and Chuuya nods at his younger friend, grabbing clean silverware and heading for the corner booth.

It’s only when he rounds the corner and can see past the glass partitions that separate the sections, that he realizes Atsushi is wrong. Or he lied on purpose. _Either way,_ Sushi’s given him the wrong information because the corner booth is most definitely not free.

He didn’t notice it _before,_ but now he notices the familiar head of chocolate brown hair that occupies his corner booth.

His heart rate picks up immediately and he slows his steps, registering the book under Dazai’s hands. 1984.

Chuuya shakes his head lightly and clears his throat, a smirk playing at his lips. It’s a bit on the nose, but it’s sweet and it makes him chuckle in spite of the brunette's dorkiness.

He knows his line here, but before he can say it, Dazai speaks up.

“You know, George Orwell _really_ is excellent~” he says and Chuuya’s smirk settles deeper as he slides into the booth across from him. He places the clean utensils to the side and gives the few occupied tables in his section a glance, _though_ they seem to be good for now.

He looks back at Dazai and rests his chin on his hand, “Is that what you were doing the last two weeks? Reading?”

“And waiting for your friends, Ranpo and Poe, to get back to me. I’m _sorry_ I didn’t call.” Dazai rubs a hand at the back of his neck with an embarrassed smile, “Things were...a little **hectic** when I got back. Having to start my familiar routine were harder than I thought.”

Chuuya nods in understanding. It was a little much for him too; he received a promotion at the repair shop, his shifts at the diner getting _busier_ and having to make sure everything went back to normal in the household - was a lot, but it would have been so much worse without Ranpo, Edgar and his friends.

Dazai hums, “How are you doing? Is Kyouka alright?”

“We’re _great_ actually.” He checks his watch, “Kyouka’s fine. She probably just hit snooze on her alarm for the second time, but she’s fine. The holidays have started so she's lazing around.”

He quirks an eyebrow at Dazai, “Is everything’s good with you now? How’s Fyodor?” Chuuya asks, then curses and moves to shift out of the booth as he notices his boss heading towards them. Dazai eyes him, confused.

“Sorry Dazai, I have to-”

“Sit down,” Ichiyo says, pointing at the seat, “Atsushi’s section is mostly _empty_ and he said to let you two talk. I’m just here to introduce myself.” She faces Dazai, extending her hand.

“Hi, I’m Ichiyo Higuchi, Chuuya’s boss and friend. You must be Dazai. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Dazai nods, reaching out to shake Ichiyo’s hand.

“It’s _good_ to meet you, ma'am.” Dazai says hesitantly, although he gives her one of his award-winning smiles.

Ichiyo shoots him an approving look and crosses her arms over her chest, “Well, Dazai. If you need anything, you let me know.” She turns to Chuuya before heading back to the kitchen.

“You take the time you need Nakahara, just don’t be making out in my diner.” Chuuya chokes back a laugh and waves her off, shaking his head as he watches Ichiyo head off.

“I’m sorry about her.” Chuuya says feeling slightly embarrassed.

Dazai’s expression is amused, “There’s nothing to apologize for. Your friends are _good_ people. You should be grateful that there's so many people who care about you, shortie,” He leans forward, settling his elbows on the table.

“Everything is _fine._ Fyodor is good. I think he misses the adrenaline and excitement of Nerve, but he's happy being free.” Dazai says and shrugs his shoulders with a smile.

“Good, I'm glad.” Chuuya hums gently.

“Exactly~” Dazai says, rapping his knuckles on the table. He gives a hard knock and flips his hand over, palm up as it rests near Chuuya’s fist. “Speaking of getting together…”

Dazai waits until Chuuya gives in and settles his hand on top of his own. “Do you know anyone with a couch to rent?” he asks but Chuuya can see the underlying smirk as he wiggles his eyebrows.

That makes Chuuya pause and he looks at Dazai in surprise, “Is that why you’re back in California?”

“_Well_ I have to find a job and somewhere to stay until I hear back from Ranpo, if it’s not too much for you and Kyouka, but yes. If you’ll…have me?” When Chuuya doesn’t respond right away, Dazai backtracks.

“I know it’s soon to be asking that but given everything I thought it might be okay and my brother is _happy_ and _free_ now so I can do what I want and I want to be here with you-”

Chuuya resists the urge to laugh at Dazai’s ridiculous and adorable babbling. Rather than speak, he stands up and hurriedly closes the distance between them, taking Dazai’s face in his hands.

His kiss interrupts whatever the brunette was about to say and Chuuya pulls back almost immediately, bumping Dazai’s forehead with his own.

“Just stay. I’ll talk to Kyouka.” Chuuya hums, his excitement feels raw at the prospect of keeping Dazai close to him.

Dazai wraps his hands around Chuuya’s wrists and looks up into his eyes, “Stay?” He asks, voice hopeful.

“Yes, _**stay,**_” Chuuya answers, huffing out a laugh. He can’t stop himself from saying what comes next: “I dare you.”

Dazai stares at him for a moment, then tips his head back and laughs _loud_ and full, the diners near them turning in concern. When Dazai looks back at him, there are unshed tears in his eyes.

“Oh, you asshole short-stack,” he murmurs, then pulls Chuuya back towards him for a real kiss that Chuuya smiles into.

Having Dazai this close simply feels right and when Ichiyo shouts at them for ‘making out’ in front of the whole diner a few seconds later, Chuuya just smiles harder.

"B-but…" Dazai hesitates and casts his eyes downward, making Chuuya do a double-take, "Are, _are_ you sure?"

His own voice is unwavering as he frowns, "Yes, I'm **_sure_** Dazai. Why? What's wrong?"

Dazai scratches the back of his neck, he still avoids looking directly at him, "Well, you don't know me Chuuya. I, _uhm,_ I may not be the person you expect me to be. The person you see up front isn't always me…" he trails off and Chuuya can see the brunette is having a hard time finding the right words.

"...my past is _bitter_ and kinda dark, although I told you a bit about my past, there's _much more_ to tell and I don't know if you'll like it." Dazai clenches his jaw and takes a deep breath.

Chuuya keeps silent but seeing Dazai like this is awful, so he can't stop himself before he interrupts the brunette, "Hey listen, we've _all_ got a past Dazai. I'm not shallow, I won't abandon you for whatever mistakes you've made. If you regret your past, you can move on and try to be better."

Dazai chuckles hollowly, "Yeah, I try to be a better person each day of my life. It _isn't easy,_ especially since I've been trapped by Nerve for so long. But when I met you, I was reminded…reminded of Oda and the person he made me become."

He doesn't really understand what Dazai means by saying that, but it sounds like the brunette is referring to things he's done _wrong_ and Oda helped him to become good, so he nods. He'll wait for another better opportunity to ask Dazai about it since he has many questions still to ask the brunette.

Chuuya gives him a _reassuring_ smile and squeezes a hand on the brunette's shoulder, "I'm glad we met then, I'm _**glad**_ you think of me that way Dazai. But if it's any consolation, when I first met you, I _never once_ thought you were a bad person. A liar and good actor perhaps, but not bad."

Dazai sucks in a breath and finally looks him in the eyes, his auburn eyes are glassy as he speaks, "R-really? You _mean_ that Chuuya?"

"Of course!" he snaps confidently and then suddenly remembers something, "Hey, what about your mom? If you're staying with me, who will be looking after her?"

Dazai sighs, quirking his lips into a half-smile, "Actually, I'm gonna still look after her. I just asked to stay with you because I wanted to see if you _still_ care…Ah, I know I'm _screwed-up_ in the head, but after everything that's happened I was feeling doubtful that you wanted anything to do with me."

Chuuya has to scowl because, _'Why is Dazai doubting himself so much? Does he have abandonment issues? Does it have something to do with his lack of a father figure?'_

He clicks his tongue and flicks the brunette on his nose trying to cheer him up, "Idiot! We're _all_ a little screwed-up in the head. I won't be getting rid you that easily," Chuuya smiles, "It makes sense though since your mom lives in Los Angeles. She needs you to be near her."

Dazai nods before wincing when suddenly Atsushi taps him on the shoulder, "Hey Dazai~ How are you?"

The brunette gives Atsushi a warm smile, "Oh hey, it's Chuuya's little tiger-friend! I'm _fine_ and you?"

Chuuya frowns, "Tiger friend?"

Dazai shrugs, "His eyes remind me of a tiger and he wore that cool tiger-printed shirt when I first met him~"

Beside him, Atsushi blushes and clears his throat, "Ah thanks, I guess. Tigers are one of my favorite animals. My eyes are a genetic defect though, many people find it strange."

"I like your eyes~" Dazai coos and goes to ruffle Atsushi's hair, "It makes you stand out from the crowd! And it's beautiful~"

Chuuya can't stop himself from chuckling as Atsushi blushes _even_ harder, Dazai can be so openly blunt sometimes it's endearing.

Atsushi backs away from Dazai's hand, "Thanks for the compliment Dazai, but I need to get back to work. You should probably get back to work too, Chuuya, it's getting busy now." He says and heads toward his section of customers.

"Pfff, I like the tiger kid." Dazai hums fondly, "He looks young, _how_ old is he?"

"Sushi is seventeen, just like my sister. But he's a smart-ass so he finished high school early and _now_ he's studying computer-science in one of the local colleges."

"Wow~ your friend-pool is **awesome** Chuuya!" Dazai chirps and he feels glad that the brunette seems more joyful, Atsushi can have that effect on people. "Well, I'll leave you to your work, I can't keep you preoccupied all night even though I want to~"

Chuuya smiles as Dazai takes out the keys of his Impala from his dark brown leather-jacket pocket. The brunette looks good _(sexy)_ in this particular outfit but Chuuya didn't mention it because he knows if he complimented Dazai it would start a whole new series of conversations and _heat_ between them, and he needs all his energy to focus on work right now.

Dazai snaps his fingers in front of him, "Chuu~ya, quit staring at me like I'm made out of gold. I know I have a nice ass but please, have some public decency~" he jokes and Chuuya can't stop the pink blossoming on his cheeks.

_'Damn this bandage-guy',_ he thinks and rolls his eyes. Dazai chuckles before slapping a quick kiss onto his cheek.

"Bye, shortie. I'll keep in touch."

"See ya later, Dazai," he greets back and watches as the brunette exists the diner. He still has many questions for Dazai and the surrealism hits him like a wave because, _Dazai is right,_ he doesn't know much about him besides what Dazai already told him.

_'Is our relationship moving to quickly?'_ he wonders and shakes away the millions of questions plaguing his brain.

Questions regarding Dazai's bandages, _why_ he wears them and what could possibly be underneath - questions about why Dazai still haven't told him his _real_ name, questions about his past and what Oda did to help him become the person he is.

There's a lingering ball of nerves that twists his stomach because what's the possibility that Dazai actually dangerous?

Chuuya trusts the brunette, _especially_ after experiencing the genuine sadness and hurt he displayed when he thought Chuuya was actually dead. Dazai's feelings for him are genuine, there's no doubt about that.

But with the way the brunette looked at him tonight: _unsure,_ _hesitant, guilt-ridden_ and _hollow…_

...he has to wonder how long this will last, because Chuuya is already looking after one person, his sister, while simultaneously trying to keep his own emotional well-being in check.

He doesn’t know if he'll _truly_ be able to handle whatever enigma Dazai is offering, helping someone with emotional baggage isn't easy and he wonders if he'll be able to do it.

After everything that's happened with him and his sister, he knows he has grown up stronger, if not a little cold and distant, but ever since he met the brunette his heart and emotions have been much more _open_ than before and if Dazai can make him feel like this, he's sure as hell going to try and support Dazai even though he has a feeling that this isn't always going to be moonshine and roses.

* * *

"Wait a second, wait, wait, wait. Did I hear that correctly?" Chuuya asks with a disbelieving frown.

His boss squares him with a deadpan, tucking a string of her blonde hair behind her ear, "You heard me, Nakahara."

The diner is closed and it's already past midnight when Ichiyo told him she wanted to speak to him. They are sitting at one of the booths, Chuuya’s mouth hanging open at what the woman just told him.

"Boss- _Ichiyo,_ I c-can't. This is a big responsibility. What made you decide on this?" he ask, tapping the teacup with a clink.

"Well, as you _already_ know, I own two other restaurants besides Stray Dogs Diner," she answers and takes a sip of her juice, "The restaurant I own in LA requires my immediate attention since the manager screwed me over. I fired him but I have to go pick-up the damage."

Chuuya hums as he listens to her speak, "That's why I'm putting you in charge of Stray Dogs while I'm gone. I _know_ it's asking a lot and you'd probably need to quit your other job so I understand if you'd say no."

He nods at her, still unable to fathom what she just said. If he's the manager of Stray Dogs it'll boost his earnings quite a bit which doesn't require him to have a second job at the repair-shop. It also means that he will be able to spend more time focusing on his own college classes, giving him more exposure in the hospitality industry which he's studying.

_ 'This is amazing',_ he thinks with determination and smiles.

"This is such a great opportunity, thank you Ichiyo," he takes her hand and gives it a squeeze, she's always had his back ever since he started working here, "I accept this responsibility and I won't disappoint you."

"I know you won't disappoint me Nakahara, that's why I chose you." She smirks and squeezes his hand back, "I'm leaving first thing in the morning, I know it's quick but I _also_ know that you can handle yourself. You know my diner like the back of your hand, it's very impressive~"

Chuuya fights back his blush and coughs, "Thanks, I'll look after this place, I promise. You should be getting home to pack then if you're leaving early tomorrow."

She stands up and nods as she quickly takes her empty glass and his teacup, putting it at the back, when she returns she ushers them to the front door and locks it.

Ichiyo _grins_ as she dangles the diner's keys in front of him, "Good night Nakahara, take care of my diner _oh_ and…" she shoots him a playful wink before opening her car door, "Stop making out in front of the customers, otherwise your ass is fired."

The blonde woman leaves him gaping as she drives away and he sputters as he heads toward his own car. He feels _happy_ that she trusts him this much and he's determined not to disappoint her in the slightest.

Chuuya drives away, humming a happy tune as he's finally able feel a familiar sense of excitement course through him.

* * *

Atsushi has been tossing and turning in his bed the whole night and he _curses_ silently because he really wishes that he could rest, it's already way past 3 a.m and his body needs the sleep especially after such a busy day.

Mostly it's his brain that won't shut up because he can't stop thinking about Dazai, after his encounter with the brunette again at the diner, he wishes that he could trust the guy just like Chuuya.

Chuuya lights up whenever the brunette is in the vicinity and he told himself a thousand times that he should stop doubting Dazai, especially after seeing him cry over Chuuya's fake-dead body.

But he can't help his apprehension because Dazai…there's something _off_ about him and no matter how many times Atsushi lists his good qualities he's still propelled by the worry he has for his closest friend, Chuuya.

And his instincts are rarely wrong, he's seen that weird _hollow_ look Dazai often has, he's seen the _forced_ smiles and the way he sometimes tremble when _shown_ or _being shown_ affection.

Dazai definitely has a past and Atsushi is worried if that past unfold into something Chuuya might not be able to handle.

Of course he's not oblivious to Chuuya’s own past, his friend told him everything how he grew up and had to look after his sister. Atsushi and Chuuya knows each other's lives, knows each other's _fears_ and _worries_ like two sides of the same coin but that doesn't mean that Dazai might be hiding something dark.

Chuuya has experienced the loss of his parents, making his friend grow up hard but he's always had physical and mental support. Chuuya had never had to deal with violence, abuse or abandonment except the loss of him and Kyouka's parents and Atsushi is _**sure**_ Dazai has experienced those if his facial expressions are anything to go by.

_ 'Dealing with that sort of stuff are never easy.'_

Atsushi sighs, rubbing at his tired eyes as he straightens his back to lean against the headboard. He's been wondering whether or not he should let Ranpo look into Dazai: into his past and personal life, but it feels wrong.

He already feels guilty for violating the brunette's privacy when he asked Ranpo more information about Dazai's Nerve-profile. _In fact,_ he felt so guilty that he told Dazai what he did, afterwards bought him a present and apologized _multiple_ times.

Dazai forgave him of course, if not with a slight strain of his mouth and a flicker of hurt in his eyes, but that look vanished quickly and he hugged Atsushi in return.

Atsushi remembers the live-stream: he remembers how Dazai held Chuuya in a tight grip like a lifeline, _but_ he also remembers seeing stains on Dazai’s shirt that awfully looked like blood, he _remembers_ how quickly Dazai jumped Fyodor and punched him three times with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

_'What if Dazai loses his temper and ends up hurting Chuuya like he hurt his adopted brother, Fyodor?'_ Atsushi thinks and winces as he remembers Dazai bolting to beat Fyodor up - without hesitation and with practiced movements, like he's used to fighting.

He thins his lips, nervous sweat dripping down his forehead.

Atsushi cares too much about Chuuya to just simply let go of his own worries so reluctantly he grabs his phone off of his bedside table, unplugging it and scrolling to Ranpo's number.

He _stops_ and thinks better of it, instead going to to Edgar's number because he reckons that contacting him would be better especially since Ranpo can be a loud-mouth sometimes. Edgar is considerate and won't bombard Atsushi with millions of questions.

But they're probably sleeping so he shoots a text instead.

> _**Atsushi:** "Hey, Poe, sorry to bother you but can I come see you sometime? My off-day is Friday, can we see each other then? In private? Without Ranpo?"_

He sighs and presses the send button, leaning back and flinging his phone onto the covers, maybe now that that's settled he can sleep. But his phone 'trills' and he quickly grabs at it, _surprised_ that Edgar actually answered him at this time.

> _**Poe:** "You're never a bother :-] And sure we can, how does The Corner Café sound @ 11p.m?_

Atsushi smiles and type out a reply, thankful that Edgar is awake for whatever reason. 

> _**Atsushi:** "Sounds great, thanks! See you Friday then :-D"_

He puts his phone back on charge and takes a deep breath, his brain is less loud now and finally he can settle down and catch a bit of sleep.

* * *

Friday rolls around too quickly for Atsushi and before he knows it, he's settled at a window-table in The Corner Café with Edgar sitting across from him.

Today is a particularly hot day in Spring, he _knows_ that summer will be rolling around quickly since the month of May is nearly done, which means that working at the diner becomes a hot-mess with sweat constantly dripping down his spine.

_Luckily_ Ichiyo installed a cooling-system which he's thankful for, but this Café isn't so lucky and the heat is getting to him.

"I already ordered us some lemonade," Edgar retorts, fanning himself with a plastic folder he's been clutching, "Jeez, I'm dying today!"

"Tell me about it," Atsushi agrees and swipe at his brow, "I feel like a melted ice-cream cone."

Edgar chuckles before placing his chin onto his hands and gazing at Atsushi thoughtfully, "So, what's up? It must be something _serious_ if you wanted my help with something rather than Ranpo's."

The waitress interrupts them, placing the lemonade down before leaving and Atsushi hums pleasantly as the cold and refreshing liquid cools down his system.

"Yeah," he says and scratches his neck sheepishly, "I would've dug up the information myself but I felt _too guilty_ and I didn't want Ranpo asking questions like last time.

"Oh?" Edgar questions and downs is own drink, immediately refilling his glass, "I guess Ranpo can be a bit childish, I understand. He's a genius but he's also an _idiot_ sometimes."

Atsushi chuckles, "Yeah, he's special in his own way. _Uhm,_ so, I need information on somebody."

"Let me take a guess," Edgar smirks and points at him, "This is about that brunette again, am I right?"

_'Wow, they're both geniuses',_ Atsushi thinks and nods with defeat.

"Y-yes, I'm worried about Chuuya. He hasn't been this serious about someone, you know, _relationship-wise,_ in a long time." Atsushi chooses his words carefully, "I'm worried about him getting hurt."

"I see," Edgar hums, tapping his chin thoughtfully, "To be honest, I'm _not_ such a good judge of character but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have my own suspicions. When Ranpo came across the incident regarding Oda, I accidentally saw a few other things…" he trails off and Atsushi's gut churn.

"Wha-what did you see?" he ask with a frown.

Edgar shrugs his shoulders, "It's not any of my business so I didn't read any further _but_ I did print the information because I had a _feeling_ you'd be asking later~" he smirks and playfully waves the folder in the air.

Atsushi blanches a little because, _'Damn, Ranpo and Poe are more alike than they know.'_

"Thank you, Poe. I really appreciate it." Atsushi gives him a warm smile as he hands him the plastic folder but then, Edgar's face suddenly turns serious and his voice drops as he looks Atsushi dead in the eyes.

"Atsushi, be careful," he warns, making his stomach do a flip, "I only had a glimpse but a glimpse was enough to _even_ have me worried. I'm not personally involved with Chuuya and you are _closer_ with Ranpo than you are with _me,_ but trust me when I say that what you are about to read shouldn't be taken lightly."

Then Edgar stands up and squeeze a hand on Atsushi's shoulder, "Please keep in touch with me if you don't want to talk to Ranpo about this. I'll _gladly_ help and support you, but for now, I need to go. I have an appointment with a client."

"No worries," Atsushi hums, "Thank you for this and _uh,_ have a nice day~"

Edgar gives him a warm smile before turning to leave the Café, "You too Atsushi, good luck."

Atsushi's sucks in a deep breath as he settles down once again, the warning in Poe's voice has his hair standing on end and _now_ he's even more curious about what information the folder might hold.

He flips open onto the first page and carefully reads through the information, gathering up every detail as best as he could while his heart _slowly sinks_ into a hole.

As he reads every page, finishing about forty minutes later, his face is ash-stricken and his pulse is _**rapid**_ as it drums in his eardrums.

'_Oh god, this is much worse than I could've imagined!'_ he thinks and bites his lip, drawing blood, _'I need to call Chuuya and fast.'_

  
_ **To Be Continued…** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did Atsushi find this time? It seems I keep focusing back on Dazai huh? Well...he's such a cool character I couldn't possibly help myself! Also, Atsushi is such a good friend, am I right? 
> 
> Please leave comments and kudos :-}
> 
> All rights reserved to the creators of Nerve, Bungou Stray Dogs and @/shingekino_neon


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens and Dazai and Atsushi finally goes head-to-head! Chuuya is the new manager and needs some help running the diner. 
> 
> I feel like my character-depths don't have any depth at all! Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment or kudos! Thank you so much<3

Chuuya **glares** down at his phone, he _really_ doesn’t have time to answer his texts but Atsushi is being annoyingly persistent. 

Today is Friday and with the afternoon rolling around, the diner has become quite busy and the heat _isn’t_ making anything better and his stress-levels have sky rocketed now that Ichiyo has put him in charge as manager.

The staff of Stray Dogs Diner are running around like crazy, the booths are already at maximum capacity and he wonders if it would be better to call in some extra help. Even _he_ is having a hard time keeping his head above water today and to think, it’s only his third day working as manager.

_‘I know I can handle this, but damn, I’m spinning like a madman’,_ Chuuya thinks with a sigh where he’s standing out back to take a quick breather, he rubs at his temples while glaring down at his phone. 

> _ **Chuuya:** “Sorry I missed yur call, its very busy today, I’m kinda exhausted already. I can answer texts when I have time.” _
> 
> _ **Sushi:** “No problem** ;-]** is everything ok? I just wanted to talk to you about something, it’s important.” _
> 
> _ **Chuuya:** “The diner is hectic, I knw its yur off-day but do yu thnk yu can come help out?” _
> 
> _ **Sushi:** “Sure! I’ll head over right now **:-D** It’s great because then I can talk to you afterward.” _
> 
> _ **Chuuya:** “Yeah, of course and thnx so much for coming on a short notice!” _
> 
> _ **Sushi:** “I wasn’t doing anything anyway **XD** hehe, see you in a few minutes. Probably **10** minutes.” _
> 
> _ **Chuuya:** “See ya!” _

He wonders what Atsushi wants to talk about but he doesn’t dwell on it since his brain is _too_ preoccupied at the moment. 

Chuuya feels better now that Atsushi is on his way, Atsushi is a good and _diligent_ worker and he’ll really appreciate it if somebody can help train the new girl that’s working behind the bar. 

He doesn’t want to be mean, but she’s _useless_ and he wanted to shout at her several times today but kept himself under control. It wouldn’t be right to shout at a girl but _damnit,_ she’s one of those with a lack of common sense and she comes running out of her post to ask for help on the stupidest things.

_ ‘Oh! Maybe I can ask Dazai to come help out too…’_ he wonders and hesitate, he’s not sure if the brunette has any experience working in a restaurant but at this point they need all the help they can get.

Chuuya winces when there’s a **sudden** crash coming from the bar and he sighs, the new-girl probably dropped something _again._ At this rate the new-girl will cause them a fortune of expenses.

> _ **Chuuya:** “Hey Dazai, do yu think yu can come help out **@** the diner? We need some xtra hands.” _

He sends the text and wait for the brunette to reply, two seconds later and he’s relieved to find a text.

> _ **Dazai:** “Mister manager needs MY help? **O_O** I’m flattered!” _
> 
> _ **Chuuya:** “I’m serious! I already called Atsushi, if yur not busy, pls come. The new bar-girl is driving me** :-[** INSANE.” _
> 
> _ **Dazai:** “Ok shortie. I’m just running an errand, see ya in **15**.” _
> 
> _ **Chuuya:** “Thnx Dazai, see ya** ;-)**” _

Chuuya feels even more relieved now, knowing that two extra sets of hands are coming to help out. But he frowns when he quickly scans his eyes over the texts again, clicking his tongue with annoyance.

_ ‘Am I the only person that uses slang-text?’_ he wonders incredulously as he heads inside toward the commotion, _‘Pfff, and to think I’m actually older than them.’_

* * *

It’s only a six minute walk from The Corner Café to his apartment and halfway there Atsushi received Chuuya’s text after trying to call his friend a few times. 

He’s _happy_ that he can go and help out, even if it’s his off-day, because now he can talk to Chuuya about the information he got from Edgar. The very concerning information regarding Dazai, or better yet: _Osamu Dazai._

His own muscles feel like noodles with the nervous-energy still clouding his system and not only _that_ but the hair on the back of his neck are electrified with the sensation of being watched.

Atsushi feels like somebody has been watching him ever since he left the café and that makes him _wary_ of his surroundings.

He hasn’t spotted any lurking figure and thank goodness it’s still daylight because then the person watching him won’t probably make a move. Hopefully.

_ ‘Does it have something to do with Nerve? Did somebody find out we were responsible for shutting the game down? Do they want revenge? Did they trace Ranpo’s IP? Are all my friends in danger?’ _

His thoughts are running wildly and his heartbeat is frantic, and he doesn’t even notice the outstretched-hand that **flies** out to grab his arm from around the corner of an alley as the figure push him against the wall. 

Atsushi _yelps_ and wants to shout for help but his trachea is squeezed by a very strong elbow while another hand grip his cheeks to painfully squeeze his jaw, slender-gloved fingers digging into his skin.

He _gulps_ and stares at the figure, probably the same person who’s been watching him, the individual is taller than him with a black hoodie covering his head and a skull printed face-mask covering his face to only expose the eyes. _Auburn eyes._ Familiar auburn eyes that now has a very dangerous glint to them.

Atsushi exhales, “D-Dazai,” he wheezes but the figure only tightens his grip, leaning more of his weight onto him so that Atsushi can’t move. 

He’s having a hard time breathing but Dazai isn’t suffocating him.

“I don’t want to _hurt_ you tiger boy,” Dazai warns, his mouth muffled by the mask, “You’re Chuuya’s friend and Chuuya will be sad if you get hurt.”

“Wha-what do you want?” Atsushi asks, his body is _**trembling**_ beneath the brunette’s grip and Dazai’s aura is so intense that Atsushi feel genuinely afraid.

“You’re a smart kid Atsushi,” Dazai hisses and leans down to jab one of his knees into Atsushi’s stomach, “Take a wild guess.” 

He gulps and clutches the folder Edgar gave him tighter, “Y-you want this, right?” Atsushi asks and watches Dazai nod slowly.

“It’s nothing personal, I just don’t _like_ people snooping around in my past,” Dazai snaps at him but then the brunette sighs as the fire in his eyes ebb away slightly, he loosens his grip and pulls down the face-mask to reveal the _guilt_ underneath. 

Atsushi is astounded at how quickly the brunette calmed down. “I’m sorry if I scared you Atsushi.”

He doesn’t know how to respond because Dazai still has him boxed-in, the brunette’s _actions_ and _words_ are two different things and Atsushi’s hand are itching to call the police, he feels threatened by Dazai.

_‘How did he even know about the information?’_ he wonders and bites his lip. Dazai watches him, his auburn eyes burning into him like a wildfire.

“D-Dazai,” he says slowly, “You know I only care about Chuuya, he’s one of my _closest_ friends. This information can’t be kept from him.”

“I know!” Dazai snaps and he winces at the desperation clouding the brunette’s voice, “I know, but…it’s _my_ past and it doesn’t give you or anybody the right to snoop around. I’ll tell Chuuya, I promise.”

Atsushi nods and gulps because Dazai has subtly started gripping his arm again, he doesn’t know if the brunette’s actions are _deliberate_ or _not_ but the guilt and desperation etched into Dazai’s face has him doing a double-take. 

He wants to protect Chuuya and the information in this folder would be enough to get rid of Dazai for good, to even put him in jail but…

…Dazai is looking at him with a silent plea in his eyes and when he opens his mouth to speak, his voice crack, “P-please Asushi, p-please just give me a _little_ time. I’ll tell Chuuya, I promise.”

He sighs, _‘Damnit, Dazai really does care about Chuuya!’_

“Okay Dazai,” he concedes, “I’ll trust you even though you should know that I _don’t want to_ trust you. I’ll put my faith in you since Chuuya really cares about you and _you_ care about him.”

The brunette is silent as he listens, watching Atsushi like an eagle as he speaks and that goes without saying how creepy that makes him feel, “I’m keeping this folder though and I want you to answer any questions whenever I ask, you need to answer them _honestly, _**now** give me your phone.” He demands seriously, hoping that the determination in his voice is enough to bargain with.

He still doesn’t trust Dazai enough not to hurt him right here in this hidden alley, the brunette is so unpredictable that Atsushi wishes Chuuya never had anything to do with him in the first place. He only has himself to blame because during Chuuya’s kiss-dare, it was he who pointed Dazai out to Chuuya.

Suddenly Dazai chuckles, it’s a _cold_ and hollow sound that makes his stomach drop, “Aw~ you really are something else, relax Atsushi, I wasn’t going to hurt you, jeez.”

This time Atsushi has a chance to laugh, “_Says_ the guy who jumped me and grabbed me in a choke-hold, why don’t you let go of me then Osamu Dazai.”

The brunette thins his lips but lets go, finally giving him some space, “Sorry, I get your point. But to be fair, I didn’t have a back-up plan and _once I knew_ what you were up to, I panicked. Sorry Atsushi. Sometimes it’s so easy for me to go back to my old ways, did-did I hurt you?”

“No, but you _did_ scare the hell out of me,” Atsushi smirks, the brunette looks apologetic which makes him look like a lost puppy and Atsushi can’t bear to look at those pleading auburn eyes any longer.

“As long as you _promise_ that your past is behind you, I can live with that. You aren’t a bad guy, Dazai. Perhaps a little rough and a total enigma, but I don’t see the same person in front of me like I read in this file _which_ means you probably changed a lot.”

“Yes I have!” Dazai snaps frantically and digs out his phone to give to him, Atsushi notices his hands are shaking, “I’ve changed a lot. You know about Oda, well, he was my best friend and I’ll tell you about the things he helped me with. It’s just…_hard_ to talk about.”

Atsushi hums as he inserts his number into Dazai’s contact-list, also checking to make sure the brunette isn’t tracking him. Luckily he wasn’t which makes Dazai all-the-more dangerous because, _‘How did he find out about the information? He must either be a really good stalker or he has a friend that’s a fellow tech-genius.’_

“I’m glad to hear that, Dazai,” he gives the brunette a smile because Atsushi has never been the sort of person that lingered on the past and people’s mistakes…unless it has negative consequences, “And I’m glad we came to an agreement. I’m also sorry for _snooping_ but you understand my concerns don’t you? This is serious stuff.”

The brunette slumps his shoulders, avoiding his eyes as he scratches his neck, “Yeah, I understand and _uh,_ thank you for not telling Chuuya. I promise I’ll tell him everything when the time is right. Do you, _uhm,_ do you think we can keep this between us?”

Atsushi nods and hands him back his phone, Dazai pockets the device and bounces on his heels nervously while waiting for a reply, “Sure, I feel bad for interfering with your life. But Chuuya is my friend and I’ve always looked out for him.”

The brunette nods and sighs, “Okay, thanks again Atsushi. Sorry again if I scared you.”

He chuckles and lightly punches the brunette’s shoulder, “Stop apologising, it’s _over._ Now let’s go help Chuuya out before he has an aneurism.”

“You checked my texts didn’t you?” Dazai deadpans but doesn’t wait for an answer, “You smart-ass tech-geniuses are a _real_ pain. Come on, my car is around the corner. I’ll give you a ride.”

Atsushi nods as he follows the brunette out of the alleyway, clutching the folder _tightly_ as they head toward Dazai’s sleek Impala and he’s having a hard time getting his heartbeat to calm down. 

He’s _**glad**_ that this little encounter gave him a bit more insight on the type of person Osamu Dazai is, but from what he read, Dazai really has changed a lot and apologised a few times for scaring him to death.

_‘But holy shit! I saw my life flashing before my eyes!’_ he thinks and winces, only time will tell how all of this will play out and it’s ironic because it’s kinda like a game isn’t it? 

Almost like Nerve is taunting them from beyond the grave.

_ **To Be Continued... ** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you guys think Atsushi handled the situation well? Dazai really feels bad but I'd be angry too if someone snooped into my past.
> 
> All rights reserved to the creators of Nerve, Bungou Stray Dogs and @/shingekino_neon


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional Warnings for: violence, cussing, emotional instability.

"We use to run around this ghost town, always thinking out loud. How we gonna get out, I remember. We dream of places that we could go, castles with a strange glow. People that we don't know, I remember…"

Chuuya is now **openly** gaping at Dazai and standing beside him, Atsushi isn't any better. The two of them are perplexed at the scene playing out in front of them and all Chuuya can think about is: _'Damn, damn, hot damn Dazai is amazing!'_

The brunette has totally taken over the bar, relieved the new-girl from her duties and he's exceptional at handling himself behind the counter. From the way he talks to the customers, to the way he mixes cocktails while simultaneously swaying his body to the rhythm of the music…it's enchanting.

Chuuya has to wonder what _else_ Dazai has up his sleeve because the brunette keeps on surprising him, he knew he had a good voice ever since that kiss-dare where Dazai had to sing and serenade him, but he didn’t know he was _this good._

Dazai's voice is a little raspy but strong as he hits both the low and high notes with beautiful ease.

"We lived a life that's ordinary from the start, we looked for _stranger_ things because that's just who we are. Found me the edge of something beautiful and loud, like I'm picturing now~" Dazai sings and when he spots Atsushi and Chuuya staring at him he gives them a _mischievous_ wink before diving into the song again, flinging his body around and shooting hand-guns.

Atsushi blushes while he shoots Dazai a crooked smile, the brunette has them frozen and every customer in the bar is either smiling, whistling or laughing out loud.

And then, he sucks in a deep breath when Dazai smirks, zips open his leather jacket to expose his neck and collarbone, and then he _**hauls**_ himself onto the bar counter, striding dramatically as the chorus starts.

"Castles _glitter_ under Spanish skies, I'm just looking out for you tonight. Snow white mountains in a Foreign state, tell me someday we'll get there, someday~" he sings and dance on top of the counter, gliding _seamlessly_ between alcoholic drinks and the heads of the customers who wolf-whistles at him.

There are even a few people putting money into the tip-box, making Chuuya feel a little jealous at Dazai's bravado.

He didn't miss the weird aura surrounding Atsushi and Dazai when they arrived at the diner at the same time, he didn’t miss the fact that Dazai gave Atsushi a ride, he didn’t miss how _wary_ the both of them had looked at him but tried to keep it hidden.

Something must've happened but Chuuya isn't sure _what_ and he's honestly curious how the two of them suddenly grown so close.

_'I'll ask them later',_ he thinks to himself and idly starts clapping along with the crowd when the song finishes and Dazai jumps down from the counter._ 'He's a natural, that sexy bandage-bastard.'_

"Wow, Osa-, _I mean,_ Dazai doesn't have a sense of self-preservation," Atsushi says sheepishly.

Chuuya lifts his eyebrow, "Are you two calling each other nicknames now?" he questions, he didn’t miss Sushi's little slip up, "Don't tell me you're gonna steal my boyfriend from me, Sushi. Should I be worried?"

Atsushi blanches and punches him on the shoulder, "Absolutely not," he says almost sounding disgusted, "Let's just say me and mister Rogue over there had a heart-to-heart and I found out his first name."

"You what?" Chuuya asks with disbelief and frowns, "How did that happen, Sushi? Did you _threaten_ him or something?"

Atsushi averts his eyes and spin around to take another order, mumbling as he walks away, "Maybe, maybe not. I'm not letting you date someone without a first name. That's just sketchy."

Chuuya rolls his eyes, he knows Atsushi isn't intimidating in the least, so something must've definitely happened. He knows that Sushi have always had his back, _but_ he also knows that his friend can often act out of character if he fights for something he believes is right.

He didn’t miss the indentations and thin scratch on the side of Atsushi's jaw either which has him wondering if Atsushi really threatened Dazai or not…

_'Nah, I'm overthinking things',_ he shakes his thoughts away and continues to tend to his duties, glancing at Dazai out of his peripheral ever so often.

Luckily it's almost near closing time and the customers have ebbed away significantly. Except for Dazai's section and he has to scoff because ever since he's worked here at Stray Dogs Diner the bar hasn't once been so busy.

The brunette has sweat trickling down his forehead and Chuuya wishes that Dazai could just take off his leather jacket completely.

_'He must be really hot underneath there',_ he thinks but perhaps Dazai's shirt underneath the jacket is short sleeved and he'd understand if Dazai didn't want to let the customers see his bandages._ 'But damn, with today's heat and the heat from the bars' overhanging lights…Dazai must feel like an oven.'_

He sighs, handing a receipt to one of the waitresses. That's the last table for the night and he's glad because he's really tired and Kyouka must be worried about him since he couldn't even text her properly. He hopes that she wasn't too bored at home, _**or worse,**_ that she secretly invited her friends over.

_'If she invited Ryu over, I'm gonna wring their necks',_ suddenly an image of his little sister making out with Ryu pops into his brain and he gnashes his teeth at the thought.

Chuuya takes a steady breath, he can't get worked up so easily, Kyouka is a teenager after all and Ryu is kinda a gentleman. Ryu is well-mannered, doesn't smoke or cuss and he doubts the boy would be the first one to make a move - and, _why_ is he still thinking about this?

Another song plays through the speakers, a song that he _recognizes_ and so he starts humming quietly to himself while cashing-up.

"I thought I saw the devil, this morning, looking in the mirror. Drop of rum on my tongue. With a warning, to help me see myself clearer. I _never_ meant to start a fire, I never meant to make you bleed," he hums while wiping the counter, "I'll be a better man today, I'll be good. I'll be good."

Chuuya winces at his own out-of-tune voice, he keeps humming quietly as he watches the waiters and waitresses clean, "And I'll, love the world like I _should._ Yeah, I'll be good, I'll be good. For all of the times, that I never could."

The new chef that's cooking in Ichiyo's place is a man, a middle-aged man with a gentle aura. Chuuya watches as the man cleans the kitchen, everybody seems to be falling in place - working in harmony to do their duties for the night.

It seems that the new-girl is good at cleaning, maybe he should just keep her on cleaning duty.

"My past has tasted bitter for years now, so I wield and iron-fist," he hums and scan the diner, his eyes land on the bar again and he scowls, "Grace is just weakness, or so I've been told. I've been cold, I've been merciless. But the blood on my hands, scares me to death, maybe I'm waking up."

Dazai seems to be _**frozen**_ behind the bar's counter, the brunette has a hollow look in his eyes where he stands pouring a beer from the draught-on-tap.

_'What's up with him?'_ he wonders, the already-drunk man sitting in front of Dazai is saying something but Chuuya can't hear. All he knows is that the customer looks _annoyed_ because the brunette isn't responding to him.

With a frown, he heads toward the scene but Chuuya is startled when the man slams a fist onto the counter, shouting at Dazai to turn the tap off because the beer is fizzling over the glass, spilling on the floor and his shirt.

The _abrupt_ noise is enough to bring the brunette back to himself, his auburn eyes lightens up and he quickly cleans up the mess he made of the beer while apologizing to the customer.

The man scoffs as Dazai hands him another beer, before the brunette violently jerks around to skip the song that's playing through the speakers. _'Huh, so it was the song that bothered him?'_

He's glad that Dazai handled the situation in a professional manner though, he'll ask about what happened later, _for now,_ he has to cash-up the waitering-staff that's waiting for him at the front desk.

Their faces look tired and he's happy that they've finally finished cleaning.

Atsushi bombards him immediately when he returns to the front, "What the hell was that?" Sushi asks as he folds up his apron, "It almost looked like mister Rogue had a flashback or something."

Chuuya just shrugs, "No clue, but that _creepy_ expression on Dazai’s face gave me chills. It definitely wasn't a good flashback."

* * *

The diner is finally empty and clean when the clock hits 23:47 making Chuuya huff out a tired sigh.

_Apparently_ Atsushi and Dazai has some hidden agreement because Sushi gave the brunette a stern glare before he left which in return, Dazai just nodded.

Chuuya asked what Atsushi wanted to talk to him about and his friend babbled something about how he just wanted to make sure that Chuuya’s position as manager wasn't getting to him.

_Bullshit answer,_ he knows because he sounded more frantic in his texts earlier, and when he asked if Atsushi wanted a ride back to his place his friend refused and said that Dazai needed to talk to him. Now he knows for certain that something is up, so when Dazai appeared from the bathroom after changing into a clean hoodie, he didn't waste any time before asking.

"Hey Dazai, you tired?" he clears his throat and motions for the brunette to come sit next to him in a booth, but the brunette _hesitates_ and instead takes a seat opposite of him.

He frowns at Dazai's rigid posture but tries his best to make the brunette feel comfortable, because clearly, Dazai was uncomfortable for some reason.

"Yeah, shortie, what a day, am I right?" Dazai says sheepishly, "Sorry about the beer by the way, you can take the money from my tips."

"Oi, shut up. Everyone makes mistakes," Chuuya says and smiles, "I'm glad you had the extra hoodie. Are you alright though? I saw what happened and…uh, _well,_ are you ok?"

_'This is awkward, I never know how to approach sensitive topics. Especially when Dazai is acting all reserved with that puppy-dog eyes.'_

And it should be easier to talk to each other since they are dating, although they haven't made it official ever since they stopped Nerve.

Dazai chuckles but he can sense it's slightly forced, "I'm ok, the lyrics of that song got to me and-" he hesitates and takes a breath, "Well, it reminded me of things."

"What things?" he presses and takes Dazai's hand gently in his, "You can tell me, you know. We haven't talked about our relationship _but_ I'm safe to assume that we're boyfriends now, right?"

"About that," Dazai avoids his gaze and subtly remove his hand from Chuuya's, "I was thinking and _uh,_ I d-don't think this is going to work out."

Chuuya’s eyes blow wide and he can't help his voice from rising, "What the fuck? What are you talking about?" he seethes and Dazai leans back into the booth.

_'Just this morning we were talking and something must've happened because how can Dazai change his mind so quickly?'_

Chuuya folds his arms over his chest, silently seething while focusing on the brunette's posture, "What happened? You don't mean that, do you Dazai?"

"I do," Dazai retorts, tapping the table nervously, "Los Angeles is three hours away from California and like I said, I need to go back to my mom. I only hired a _temporary_ in-house caretaker to look after her. Now that Nerve is shut down, I can't pay for all our bills and I need to find a job."

"What about Fyodor?"

Dazai shrugs, "He doesn’t care as much as I do, I've stopped relying on him a while ago."

Chuuya’s frown deepens and he lowers his voice purposefully, "There's something you're not telling me, isn’t there? Atsushi told me you guys had a heart-to-heart, what was that about?"

Dazai thins his lips and scratches his head, his hoodie sleeve wrinkles up and exposes a flash of white bandage. He waits patiently as Dazai seem to maul over his words.

"Tiger boy had questions for me, he was _worried_ about you dating someone who he doesn’t trust. He's a good friend." Dazai hums and looks out at the dark streets, "I wanted Atsushi to trust me more so I told him my first name. I was angry at him for being pushy, but I care about you Chuuya so…"

Chuuya interrupts him, annoyances crawling up his spine, "If you _care_ about me, Dazai, why do you want to end this relationship? We can still drive up and down to meet up."

_'Dazai is hiding something! Something isn't right here',_ he thinks and watches how Dazai's auburn eyes shift from bright to cold.

The brunette reels back and sends Chuuya the most vicious glare he's ever seen, _'This is a joke, this isn't real. Dazai is lying to me!'_

But the fiery glare in Dazai's eyes has Chuuya flinching and when the brunette speaks up again, his tone is laced with bitterness.

"No", Dazai sneers, "It's _because_ I care about you that I'm ending this relationship. I can't explain now and Atsushi will probably be angry but…something that requires my immediate attention has come up and I need to leave for LA as soon as possible."

Chuuya frowns, "So you _**still**_ don't trust me enough to tell me the truth? I thought the both of us have been through enough to at least stand on equal ground."

"Chuuya you don't understand-"

"No, _you_ don't understand you bastard!" he snaps at the brunette, "How can you change your mind so quickly? _Either_ you have no feelings at all or, or you are in some kinda dangerous situation. I don't want to believe you don't have any feelings because I've seen you cry so why can't you just tell me what's wrong?"

Dazai sucks in a breath, there's unshed tears in his eyes and Chuuya feels guilty for snapping at him. But Dazai is being impossible right now and his own heart feels like bursting at the seems.

"Chuuya, I c-can't explain everything right now. I just-" he clenches his jaw and sighs, "I don't want to put you in danger and I have a feeling that telling you what's going on might put you in danger. All I can tell you is that _neither_ my mom or the caretaker have been answering their phones for two days…"

Dazai's knee is bouncing nervously as he speaks, his voice cracking, "I need to leave and check up on them, _I uh,_ I'm afraid they might be in danger."

Chuuya frowns, "In danger? Does this have something to do with Nerve?"

"No, it doesn’t have anything to do with Nerve," Dazai retorts meekly, "I think that, I think my father found us. He's a dangerous man. He will stop at nothing to get back at me, mom and Fyodor, he will use the people closest to us to hurt us."

Dazai _did_ mention something about his father being some underground leader, but he had no idea that the brunette had something like this bothering him.

He has many questions at the moment, but he keeps his thoughts under control since Dazai is trembling and he wants to just comfort the brunette.

Chuuya clears his throat, "Oh, oh shit, I didn't realize. Sorry Dazai." He sighs before standing and bravely wrapping his arms around the brunette.

He hugs Dazai and lowers his voice into a whisper, "Has your father done that before? Has he _hurt_ people close to you before?"

Dazai nods and nuzzles into Chuuya’s chest, he scratches at the brunette's chocolate locks, "Dazai if you think your mom is in danger, wouldn't it be best to call the cops?"

"It won't help," Dazai mumbles into his chest, "He has people working for him everywhere, he's like poison. He strikes you down before you know."

Chuuya hums and opens his mouth to respond but he's startled suddenly by the chime of his phone, he apologizes to Dazai while gently pushing away from him to check the caller.

It's Kyouka, and he frowns. _'She should be sleeping right now.'_

He answers with a question, "Care to explain why you're not asleep, little sis?"

_ "Big brother,"_ Kyouka whispers into the phone and she sounds breathless, _"Please come home-"_ she starts but the signal fades and his stomach drops.

"Kyouka, hey! What's wrong?" he yells. Something is definitely wrong judging by her tone.

_ "Big brother,"_ her voice sounds panicked and his stomach drops, _"There's a black SUV parked outside. It's been here for five hours, I think they're watching our flat but the windows are tinted."_

"Where are you sis?" he asks and stands up quickly, already shuffling the keys of his car out of his pocket.

He throws the diner's keys to Dazai so the brunette can lock up while he hurries to his car. 

_"I'm still in our apartment, I've locked all the windows and our door oh wait, big bro, I see a man climbing out of the passenger seat. He's dressed in black with a skull-mask and…oh shit, is that a gun?"_

"A gun? They're armed!?" he snaps into the phone, now his heart is definitely about to burst, "Fuck, K-Kyouka, I'm on my way. Stay quiet, turn the lights off and hide under your bed. I'll call the police."

Chuuya hears shuffling and then Kyouka is speaking again,_ "Okay, I did it. Please come quickly-"_ there's a sudden **bang** at the door and Chuuya freezes. _"Bro, they're banging on the door,"_ she whispers.

All Chuuya can think about is his sister and he doesn't even realize how much he is shaking until he drops the keys of his car between the seat and gear.

Dazai suddenly appears and pushes Chuuya until he's settled on the passenger seat, whipping the keys out and starting the car. Chuuya shouts at him to drive to his flat but apparently Dazai were already aware of that.

"Which way?" Dazai asks as he speeds out of the parking lot, the wheels screeching against the tar.

Chuuya hurriedly tells him the directions while keeping Kyouka on the phone, "Sis, just don't hang up. Stay quiet but don't hang up."

_ "Okay big brother,"_ she whispers back and there's fear laced in _her tone, "I think they're inside."_

Hearing her say that is the tip of the iceberg and he can't stop the tears that's falling down his cheeks.

"Shhh, little sis, just p-please stay quiet." He says and throughout all his raw nerves he forgets about calling the police in favor of keeping Kyouka on the line. Kyouka is his priority and he hopes Dazai took the initiative to call the cops instead.

But at the moment he can't concentrate, his body is on fire and when there's more shuffling on the other end, his world _slows_ down when Kyouka screams bloody murder.

_ "Let go of me asshole!"_ he hears her shout, _"Big brother, please help me!"_

"Kyouka!" he shouts, he can't do anything! He can't do anything but listen. And then…

…the air leaves his lungs when gunshots go off, five rounds of shots gets fired accompanied by Kyouka shouting and a _**thud**_ thumping against their apartment's floor - then silence.

The silence is deafening and Chuuya can't do anything but glance at Dazai, his phone sliding out of his hand as his tears fall freely now.

Dazai is driving like a madman, hooting and flying over red lights but to Chuuya it feels like slow-motion because his brain can't stop hearing the fear in Kyouka's voice.

_'My little sister is dead, oh god, Kyouka no!'_

**_To Be Continued..._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger, am I right?
> 
> So I know technically I've finished the plot of Nerve, but my fic is still continuing as I incorporate my own ideas. Please let me know what you guys think!
> 
> Lots of love <3


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's just a pre-cap of the events that transpired and information regarding our characters and the roles they play.
> 
> Enjoy<3

**Chuuya Nakahara**

**Age**: 21

Lives in a small 2 bedroom apartment in California with his sister Kyouka.

**Occupation:** Manager of Stray Dogs Diner, owned by Ichiyo Higuchi.

**Studies:** Part-time in Hospitality.

**Personality:** He's often too serious and can get angry quickly whenever he doesn't understand a joke or sarcasm. He's passionate about the things he enjoys and often cares too much about the people closest to him. He's selfless but not very daring, he doesn't like dangerous situations and he's kinda innocent with regards to his body, in the sense that he respects himself enough not to commit shameful acts.

**Relationships status:** 3 previous relationships, currently in a relationship with Osamu Dazai. He's not a virgin and he's bisexual although he doesn’t really have preferences as long as his heart can connect with someone.

* * *

**Kyouka Nakahara**

**Age:** 17

She's in High school.

**Personality:** she's blunt and honest with her feelings when she's serious about something. She's brave and daring, she likes the thrill of dangerous situations and she's often the leader when it comes to activities in her friend-group. She has a lot of respect for her brother even though Chuuya often treats her like a young girl instead of a teenager, she loves him endlessly because he has always been there for her and taught her many things. At the moment they can't afford extra curricular activities but she is in drama-club, which is also where she became closer to Ryu.

**Relationship status:** Ryu is actually her first boyfriend and she asked him out. She's a virgin but they have kissed multiple times. She's still not sure about her sexuality but at the moment she's straight.

**Kyouka and Chuuya's Parental status:** died in a car crash 5 years ago when Kyouka was only 12 and Chuuya was 16. They have no other family that they are aware of.

* * *

**Ryunosuke Akutagawa**

**Age:** 17

He's an only-child because his mother couldn't get pregnant so she was part of an artificial insemination program. His parents are very rich and he goes to the same High School as Kyouka.

**Personality:** he's kinda shy and reserved but can become more talkative when he helps others. He is a real gentleman and he has very good manners, he doesn't cuss often and his posture is always tidy and neat. He's very sweet when it comes to affection, although he would never initiate a kiss first, he does however hug and cuddle a lot. He's academically not so smart but he's artistic and creative. He knows basic self-defense and his extra curricular activities include: tennis, piano, swimming and drama.

**Relationship status:** Kyouka is his 1st relationship, he's also a virgin. He's straight at the moment because he's too afraid to be anything else since his parents raised him in a serious Christian household. But he has often found other boys attractive and when that happens, he prays and distracts himself with something else.

* * *

**Atsushi Nakajima**

**Age:** 17

He's a genius and already graduated from High school, now he's studying part-time at a local university. He's majoring in Computer science.

**Occupation:** works part-time as a waiter at Stray Dogs Diner. He's close to the owner, Ichiyo Higuchi, because his single-father knew her from a long time ago.

He lives with his father in a small yet modern house in California, he's very independent from his father though and he plans to move out as soon as he has enough money.

**Personality:** he's smart and athletic. In school he had many extra curricular activities that involved physical activities like: swimming, soccer, track-team, long distance running and cricket. He's not very artistic but he has a lot of stamina, which makes him attractive because he's nicely built and quite smart. He's very selfless and often acts before he thinks, causing him a lot of trouble sometimes. He cares about the people closest to him but he's unused to affection since his father isn't very affectionate. Thus he has a way of portraying his emotions via his actions, for instance: using money and gifts or doing favors. He also uses the internet to research whenever he can't understand his own emotions since his father never really taught him anything in that regard.

**Relationship status:** only one which didn't last very long. Atsushi's genius personality makes him a little indifferent when it comes to romance but he often acts confident as though not to look stupid. He's not sure of his own sexuality because he gets flustered easily and hasn't had a crush on many people, but he thinks he's bisexual. He's been thinking about Ryu a lot lately though and Googling what it could possibly mean.

* * *

**Ranpo Edogawa**

**Age:** 25

Lives with his boyfriend, Edgar, in a mansion in California. They are engaged but haven't set a date of marriage yet.

**Occupation:** owner of two major gaming arcades in California. He sidelines as a Hacker, install or writes computer security programs, build and design of websites and games.

**Personality:** he's a lovable character that loves joking around because he can’t stand serious people. He enjoys playing games and he's very smart when it comes to technology but he's also intelligent with a higher than average IQ. He has a natural high energy level and he's openly affectionate with people he cares about. Sometimes he can be obnoxiously loud especially when he's the center of attention. He's competitive but he's not a sore-loser if he loses, he's also a little shameful and not shy at all. He doesn't allow people telling him what to do or manipulate him, although it's sometimes easy to manipulate him because of his big heart.

**Body build:** he's lean yet not skinny, he has a high metabolism although he's not athletic. Atsushi helps him exercise sometimes.

**Relationship status:** multiple previous relationships due to a rebellious streak during his teenage years. Currently engaged to Edgar and he's definitely not a virgin.

* * *

**Edgar Allan Poe**

**Age:** 24

Engaged to Ranpo and lives with him in their mansion in California.

**Occupation:** owner of a popular hotel-casino in California. He also handle trades from shipments regarding foreign alcohol, foreign food and garments that he uses to make his establishment stand out from others. He knows many people in the black market that provides him with various information if he needs, but he doesn’t dwell in the underworld unless necessary.

When his parents died, they left him a gracious sum of money that he used to climb the corporate ranks to where he is now. He and Ranpo could probably be seen among the top fifteen wealthiest people in California, but they don't flaunt their riches and they often give to charity and global organizations.

**Personality:** he's also a gentleman. He's kinda eccentric and very clean on himself. He's mischievous and likes it when people can't figure him out. He's very smart and doesn't like big crowds of people. Ranpo taught him everything he knows about technology and he can also do a fair amount of hacking, but his interests are different and he enjoys art and traveling. He likes the peacefulness that nature brings and he's a sucker for romantic picnics or typical couple's activities. He's also a motivational speaker and not many people would guess that he likes children and animals quite a lot. His motivational speaking include topics like: being cyber-safe, truths about animal cruelty and financial planning.

**Relationship status:** not many previous relationships, probably about 4 because he's always been working and preoccupied by other things. Ranpo is his 5th and final relationship. He's often the dominant one in the bedroom, yet he can be affectionate and him and Ranpo share a healthy and open relationship.

* * *

**Ichiyo Higuchi**

**Age:** 25

She lives alone. She has a beautiful yet fun-sized house in California. She also owns a holiday house in Los Angeles near the beach.

**Occupation:** she's a chef and owns three restaurants: Stray Dogs Diner in California, a Coffee Shop in LA and another popular restaurant in LA that she's currently tending to due to the manager being a thief.

Her parents aren't rich and she's always promised to take care of them one day when they are old. She has an older sister and younger sister but they don't keep in touch.

**Personality:** she's passionate about entrepreneurship and cooking. She is a straight-forward person and you always know where you stand with her. She has a big heart though and enjoys looking after people she cares about, like an older sister. She feels a lot of joy whenever she can help people out, although she can come on as a little serious or rude when you meet her at first. She's not fond of animals or nature, she doesn’t like germs and is a bit of a neat-freak although she appreciates a beautiful scenery and enjoys traveling.

**Relationship status:** just about 6 previous relationships but she's come to terms being Asexual. She feels that she cares about Atsushi's dad quite a lot but hasn't chased after those feelings as of yet.

* * *

**Fyodor Dostoevsky**

**Age:** 22

He's Osamu Dazai's older adoptive brother. They don't have the same last name because their adoptive parents allowed them to keep their own. He doesn’t live with his parents anymore, they have a cottage in Long Beach.

**Personality:** Fyodor is a very lively guy, adventure-seeking and eccentric. He grew up in foster-care from age 2: he's a baby born at a brothel until the establishment shut down and took the children away. From a lack of parental figure, he grew up seeking the extravagance of life and thus has a lot of experience on the streets. But unlike Dazai, he has actually been with 3 other families and therefore he's seen the world a little. He had a normal education and he loves culinary arts and studies it part-time while enjoying his life and seeking adventure. He's handsome and has a manipulative personality, he doesn’t like working and earns his money by seducing people or conning them like: clever pyramid schemes. He enjoys fun-parks and likes eating ice-cream.

**Sibling relationship:** he hasn't lived long enough with his previous 3 families to grow close to the adoptive siblings he had. He's closest with Osamu, he's known him for 7 years.

**Relationship status:** he's had many relationships. He doesn’t settle-down and enjoys having a good time, his desires are quite high, the reason being that he seeks that attention which is lost by the lack of a stable family life. He doesn't care about sexual preferences and has been with many different people. He likes being in control but he finds it much more pleasurable to be the sub since he's used to being a leader and winning at most things.

**Current family:** his adoptive mom, Koyo Mori is married to Ogai Mori, she's sick but he doesn’t really care. He used to help Dazai take care of her but his adventure-seeking personality drives him to do his own thing and he's never really cared to grow close to any of his adoptive parents. He still resents his past and where he came from, he's angry that his real mother abandoned him so easily.

**Secret:** he wants to find his real mom and has been searching for her for 5 years now.

* * *

**Osamu Dazai**

**Age:** 19

He lives with his adoptive mom, Koyo Mori in Long Beach but he's been staying in California for 6 months now due to Nerve having trapped his bank accounts and endangered his mom because they wanted to expose the game when his friend, Oda, died.

**Personality:** he's actually very self-conscious although he acts foolish because he's always thought that it's better to make a joke and have people laugh at him rather than being depressed. He likes it when people laugh, he believes that it brings people closer and eases the tension in a room. His past is unclear and he doesn't like talking about it because he wants to forget and move on, he didn’t always believe he could until Oda helped him see life for the better. He's not fond of affection but he likes showing affection and making people feel good about themselves, he likes being in control. He has a tendency to OCD and whenever he's nervous or it feels like he's losing control, he lashes out violently. He knows self-defense, he can handle a gun and a knife and his body-type is strong yet agile. He likes music and is constantly studying people's psyche, he believes that he has psychopathic tendencies and tries his best not to act on that manipulative, apathetic and violent side of himself.

**Education:** a mixture of home-schooling and normal school since he jumped from one foster family to the next. But he finished High school nonetheless. He stopped studying music and psychology because of his mom's medical bills.

**Sibling relationships:** he's never stayed with a foster family for longer than a week so he doesn’t have any connections. Fyodor he's known for 7 years now and he's closer to his adoptive brother than anyone else, they had each other's backs for a long time.

**Relationship status:** he doesn't commit, reason also being that he's afraid to open up and then getting abandoned. But unlike Fyodor, he doesn't really care about sex - intimacy he's not used to but he enjoys giving intimacy to others. He's not a virgin and doesn't have a sexual preferences, he thinks he's Asexual but has discovered that he finds it pleasurable to be the Dom and pain is quite the turn-on for him.

**Current family:** he takes care of his adoptive mom, Koyo, since Ogai is missing in action. He and Fyodor have been with them for 7 years. They were adopted in the same year.

**Secret:** he self-harms but tries to stop. The reason for this is mostly because he tried getting rid of his gang-affiliated tattoos that run along his entire arms like a sleeve. He has a lot of secrets but will be discovered later on.

* * *

** _Recap of events:_ **

Chuuya and Kyouka joined an online game called Nerve, it allows you to either be a Watcher or Player. Players receive dares, when a dare is accepted, you earn cash but you can decline a dare if you believe it's too difficult. However there are consequences when you accept a dare and don't follow through, they usually deplete your bank account. Watchers watch the dares and the most popular Players have the most Watchers and therefore receive more difficult dares.

Chuuya met Dazai through his first dare and from then on the Watchers enjoyed seeing them together, so they received many dares and grew closer in the process. Chuuya fell in love with Dazai before he knew what he was feeling and Dazai too fell in love, but couldn't understand his own feelings. Eventually Dazai had to tell Chuuya the truth about what happened to Oda and how much he knew about Nerve since Chuuya tried to snitch and then got caught. Dazai wanted to protect Chuuya but didn't realize that Chuuya already had a plan to shut the game down.

Atsushi was the hidden gem who introduced Ranpo and Edgar to Chuuya, together they formed a plan to shut the game down but also relied on Dazai’s genuine feelings for Chuuya to actually make the plan work. When Fyodor shot Chuuya, Atsushi sent the message saying that all the Watchers are now accessories to murder while Chuuya actually faked his death and Fyodor was in on the scheme. Obviously, Dazai attacked Fyodor but recollected himself when he realized that Chuuya, whom he had genuine feelings for, died in front of him.

Luckily Chuuya woke up when Ranpo finally shut the server down through the mass-log out the Watchers provided once they realized they could get arrested for being accessories to murder and most people fled the scene. Ranpo made the final shut-down program and installed it but it's not a permanent fix and he'll be monitoring any activity related to Nerve's uprising within the future.

Dazai was in shock and disbelief, but genuinely happy to see Chuuya wasn't actually dead. Dazai is still dealing with that and hasn't told Chuuya how seeing him die keeps him up at night.

A few weeks have passed now and nothing about Nerve has been popping up, their bank accounts are not entrapped by the game and neither are their lives in danger anymore. Dazai can now return to his mom but that means he'll be more than 3 hours away from Chuuya. Dazai hasn't heard from his mom and the caretaker for 2 days and he's worried that his adoptive father might have found them. Dazai knows how dangerous Ogai is and therefore he believes he needs to push Chuuya away, he doesn't want Chuuya getting involved with his past or his family.

But before Dazai has time to explain his worries, Atsushi finds information about his past and he nearly loses his temper when he confronts Atsushi. Because he's changed a lot, he does his best not to hurt Atsushi and strikes up a deal with the boy, promising Atsushi that he'll tell Chuuya everything if Atsushi can just give him a little time. Also, Atsushi's bargaining by saying that he'll keep the information safe if Dazai answers any questions he has, Dazai agrees and they come to an understanding.

The night ends abruptly when suddenly Kyouka calls Chuuya as they're about to lock up the diner, Dazai takes the initiative to drive while Chuuya is on the phone trying to keep his little sister calm as suspicious men break into their apartment. The phone-call ends with gunshots ringing in their ears and Chuuya crying out for his sister, hoping that she's not dead. 

* * *

> **Next chapter:** Dazai has to talk about his past when Chuuya discovered his family's involvement in kidnapping Kyouka. Secrets unfold and feelings get hurt, all the while a new version of Nerve chimes a notification on their phones, but this time the game takes a dangerous turn and the creators are angry at the people involved who shut it down. Revenge is bittersweet... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are having an awesome week <3


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oi! Did you guys miss me? Pfff, probably not <3
> 
> Additional Warnings for: cussing, mention of violence and mental instability.
> 
> Enjoy this wild ride!

> _ **"Snitches get Stitches! Chuuya Nakahara, you are in direct violation of the game and thus will suffer the consequences. All your known associates whom disrupted our server will be dealt with accordingly. Do not involve the authorities otherwise we can't guarantee Snow's safety. Check your notifications for further updates."** _

The omniscient message sits blinking at Chuuya from his phone, _glitching_ on his screen as the mechanical voice reads the text and humming through his speaker.

Snow - meaning Kyouka, his sister. They can't guarantee her safety which means she's still alive. There's no blood found in their apartment so who was shot?

He feels _**numb.**_ His cheeks are red and his eyes are sore from crying, he wants to cry more with each step he takes into their empty apartment but he thinks that his tears might have dried up by now.

Somehow Dazai knew however, _not_ to call the cops even before Chuuya received that message on his phone so now he has many questions lingering in his mind, but his mouth is dry and he doesn't particularly feel the need to talk right now.

It was embarrassing enough to allow Dazai to see him break down like that, but he supposes that they are equal now since Dazai broke down merely weeks ago with his fake-death.

Yet, now the brunette seems to know more than he lets on as he idly inspects the disheveled apartment for clues and Chuuya just feels tired of this shit. To top it all off, Dazai called _Fyodor_ a few minutes ago as back-up and now the Russian and Dazai are having silent conversations without him.

_ 'I thought we were finally done with Nerve, but it looks like even Atsushi, Ranpo and Edgar couldn't completely shut the game down',_ he thinks and takes a deep breath.

He plops himself down onto the couch in their small living room, trying to relax while sipping on a cider. Kyouka's **fearfull** voice keeps replaying in his mind and once he's seen the way the intruders upturned her bed to get her out from her hiding spot…he barely braced himself into the bathroom before vomiting into the sink.

Dazai at that moment tried to comfort him, but his nerves and adrenaline was too high to register the brunette rubbing his back.

With his tears of sadness now gone, he feels irritated hearing the hushed whispering of the two handsome brunette's behind him.

"You know that I can hear you two talking, right?" he hisses without craning his neck to look at them, instead he dangles his phone in the air, "I got a message from Nerve, seems like _whoever_ designed this game isn't done with us yet. And what's more, it looks like they're angry at us for trying to shut Nerve down."

Footsteps echo on the wooden floor and Fyodor rounds the couch to come stand in front of him. The Russian nods and takes out his own phone, sighing with a heavy and defeated breath.

"I got the same text. Looks like Nerve is out to get everybody who was involved, but…" Fyodor trails off and frowns, "Even if I wasn’t part of your little tech-group, _how_ can this game possibly know every person involved? At the very least, the creators are smart and we should be _much more_ careful from now on."

"You're right", Dazai's voice hums behind them, the brunette comes and braces himself on his elbows on the headrest of Chuuya’s couch, "The creators are _**very**_ smart and now, they've stepped up their game. If the creators of Nerve are desperate enough to resolve to kidnapping then it means the game is important enough for them to go to extreme lengths."

Chuuya chuckles hollowly and sips at his drink, "Or they _probably_ just want revenge," he sneers, "After all, with the amount of Watchers and Players involved in Nerve the creators probably gained a lot of money. Now, Nerve suffered a loss and they're tracking down the people who tried shutting it down."

Fyodor hums, "Yes, that's exactly right. May I, _uh,_ perhaps have a drink?" he asks politely.

Fyodor seems more laid-back at the moment since that time Chuuya met him and he's _thankful_ that the Russian respects the gravity of their current situation. Dazai on the other hand…

_ 'Why does Dazai look so calm? Sure, it's not Dazai's sister who's been taken but it's like his entire mode has shifted into something serious and closed-off.'_

"Knock yourself out," he says matter-of-factly and Fyodor trots toward the kitchen.

Chuuya clicks his tongue and finishes his drink then he looks up at the leaning brunette, glaring into his auburn eyes as annoyance churns in his stomach.

"What's with _that_ look, shortie?" Dazai asks and flicks him on the forehead, Chuuya bristles and grabs his hand.

"Don't patronize me," Chuuya retorts and there's a moment of shock on Dazai’s face, "Don't think I _haven't_ noticed your weird behavior, I know you're keeping something from me, Dazai. And whatever reasons you have, just know that I don't like being kept in the dark."

He nudges Dazai's hand away from his face and the brunette is still looking at him, staring at him with a mixture of guilt and sadness.

Dazai sighs and retreats his hand, "I'm sorry Chuuya, _damn,_ how many times am I gonna apologize to you tonight?" he gives him a broken smile and stare off into the distance, "The situation is complicated and I wish, I just wish that you and your sister never got involved like this. I feel so bad, I can't explain how I feel and my emotions are all over the place."

_'Drama queen much?'_ Chuuya frowns and lightly reach up to tap his knuckles onto Dazai's chest.

"Hey Dazai, not to be rude or anything but, _why_ are you being so dramatic? It's not like any of this is your fault. We can call Atsushi and I'm sure Ranpo and Edgar can help us again…" suddenly he trails off and comes to a realization.

Chuuya’s eyes blow wide and he jumps up from the couch, "Oh shit, Atsushi! We should call him r-right now, he might be in danger too, oh god! And Ryu a-and Ranpo and Edgar, the message said that _all known associates_ will suffer the consequences. We should call everyone and stay together and-"

Dazai places a reassuring hand on his shoulder, stopping him from his rapid pacing.

He can feel frustrated tears gathering at the corner of his eyes and Dazai's warm touch shouldn't feel so warm but it does, and he leans into the touch while the brunette softly embraces him in his lanky arms. 

"Shh Chuu~ya, don't start panicking now," Dazai hums in a low tune, rubbing his back gently while his other hand stroke behind Chuuya’s neck. "I've called Atsushi on a burner phone while you where uh, _crying,_ he's already safe with Ranpo and Edgar. He drove to their mansion about ten minutes ago. I told Atsushi we'll be joining them shortly and he will probably relay our situation."

Chuuya pushes away from Dazai and stares at the brunette in bewilderment, "You have a burner phone? And what about Ryu?"

Dazai shrugs, "Yes, I keep burners in case of emergencies. Ah, Ryu is Kyouka's boyfriend right? I don't have his number."

Chuuya rolls his eyes and quickly scan his contacts in search for Ryunosuke's number, "Don't worry, I'll call him right now. _Wait,_ what should I say? He lives with his parents and they're probably fast asleep."

Dazai hums, tapping his chin, "Uh, can't you tell him to sneak out? Tell him we'll meet him outside of his house. He will be safer with us."

"Okay, I'll try. I hope he doesn't freak out when I tell him what happened." Chuuya retorts, sits down again and presses the 'call' button.

Dazai shuffles beside him onto the couch, giving Chuuya a warm smile, "Hopefully he won't, but I don't know the kid. He'll probably be glad knowing Kyouka is uninjured."

Chuuya scoffs, "We _don't_ know for certain, I heard three gunshots Dazai, three!" he snaps but before he can continue his rant, Ryu answers and his voice is husky with sleep.

_"Chu-Chuuya?"_ comes Ryu's groggy voice and he's so glad to hear the kid is safe, at this point, Chuuya’s mind keeps playing the worst case scenarios. _"Did-did you need something, Chuuya? Uh, maybe I'm dreaming…"_

"Thank god! And no, Ryu this is real," Chuuya shouts, "Listen Ryu, you have to listen carefully…"

* * *

_Thankfully_ Ryu snuck out of his house with silent ease, unsuspecting of his parents and climbed into Chuuya’s car without a problem.

Now they're on their way back towards the diner where Dazai left his Impala and Ryu hasn't shut up ever since, which is kinda surprising and Chuuya can't help the small amused smile escaping him.

He's come to learn a thing or two about Kyouka's boyfriend, and peering at him through the rear-view mirror suggests that he feels slightly uncomfortable sitting next to Fyodor. Ryu keeps glancing nervously at Fyodor but when the Russian turns to look at him, he quickly jerks his head away.

"I'm not gonna bite you kid," Fyodor says, leaning closer to Ryu.

The Russian seems bewildered and annoyed with Ryu's behavior, "Tsk, you look like a scared rabbit right now. Come on, what's wrong-" he reaches out a hand but Ryu unceremoniously slaps it away, leaning further from Fyodor.

"Don't you touch me!" Ryu _screeches,_ his voice pitching high before he blushes and cast his gaze out of the window, "I just, I, I don't like you."

Fyodor has surprise written on his face before he registers Ryu's statement and frowns, "What the hell? What did _I_ do to _you,_ you brat? I don't even know you…"

Chuuya flinches hearing Ryu being called a 'brat' and peers around to glare at Fyodor, "Hey, this isn't the time to bicker," he snaps and points at Fyodor, "And _don't_ start calling my sister's boyfriend names without a good reason. I already have a headache."

Fyodor clenches his jaw and nods, "Sorry, fine~" he huffs and crosses his arms over his chest, glancing at Ryu again, "At least give me some explanation, I mean, how can he not like me? I've never met him before."

Chuuya sighs and sits back in the front passenger seat, Dazai is quiet beside him as he drives toward the diner but for a moment he thought he saw Dazai snickering.

"If you _must_ know," Ryu's voice cuts through the car's momentary silence, "I know who you are, player Fyodor Dostoevsky, top-ranked in Nerve and…I just, _ever since_ I became a Watcher when Kyouka introduced me to the game - I never liked you or your brother."

Chuuya has to straighten his jaw as he listens to Ryu rant, he sees that Dazai is sporting a frown of his own.

Fyodor sputters, "Whoa-why? Kid, _uh,_ Ryu that's a bold claim yet you say that like you know me as a person."

Ryu scoffs, "Watching you and Dazai's dares are enough to tell me you are both idiots. Some of the things you guys have done stretches the boundaries and I can't possibly imagine Chuuya associating himself with people who _don't_ value their lives."

_ 'Ouch. But slightly true,'_ he thinks and watches as Dazai's features morph into guilt, the brunette is tapping his thumbs onto the steering wheel nervously.

Chuuya sighs and decides to speak up, he knows everybody is on edge and apparently it looks like he'll need to become the voice of reason. _Typical,_ but thankfully Dazai is keeping to himself and he has to wonder what might be on the brunette's mind.

He'll have to talk to him later privately.

"Listen Ryu," he starts, "I also joined Nerve even if it was a lapse in my judgment, I guess you can call me an idiot too."

"Chuuya you _don't_ understand, have you even seen the types of dares these two have done?" Ryu protests.

"No I haven't, but we all make mistakes," he backfires without his usual feistiness, "What matters _now_ is that those dares are behind us. Dazai and Fyodor were freed of Nerve, even if now Nerve has shown up again. The point is, we won't do stupid things like that again, right guys?" he emphasizes the last sentence, glaring at Dazai and Fyodor.

The two adoptive siblings chirp in unison with an affirmative, "Right," which makes Chuuya happy to hear, especially coming from Dazai.

Now that he thinks about it, he wonders how Dazai must be feeling, surely the brunette is agitated with Nerve rearing it's ugly head again. And to think, a couple of days ago Dazai appeared to be so happy knowing he was freed from Nerve, knowing he could go back to Long Beach to take care of his sick mother. 

But the brunette has a _**dull**_ glaze shading his auburn eyes tonight and Chuuya feels selfish for only focusing on himself, he touches Dazai's arm and lowers his voice when Ryu and Fyodor trails into their own conversation on the back seat.

Dazai startles a little at his touch, smiling hollowly at Chuuya, "Hey shortie, what's up? Is everything alright?"

"I should be asking _you_ that, Dazai," he says and squeezes Dazai's arm, he wants at the very least, to let the brunette know he's there for him. Even if Dazai can be an insufferable enigma.

"I don't want you to think I'm mad at you, well, maybe I'm a little angry that you keep secrets from me. But I also want you to know that I'm here, I'm not going anywhere and we're all in this together."

Dazai keeps his eyes focused on the road as he takes the turn to park in Stray Dogs' parking lot, when they stop he peers at Chuuya with a genuine smile and squeezes a hand over Chuuya’s own.

"Thank you Chuuya~" Dazai rasps and he's happy the two sitting in the back are too busy scrambling outside to notice the tension, "I appreciate your concern for me, but Kyouka should be our top priority and-" his sentence gets interrupted by the chime of his phone.

"Sorry, hold that thought," Dazai retorts and checks his phone.

Chuuya wants to slap the brunette for changing the subject so quickly but he frowns when he notices the color draining from Dazai's face.

Chuuya scramble to unlock his seatbelt and leans over, but Dazai yanks the phone away and slam the door open to get out. He follows the brunette in his blind haste, quickly stopping him as he catches the sleeve of Dazai's hoodie.

"What the fuck?" Chuuya snaps unintentionally, pulling the brunette back towards him, "What's wrong Dazai? Did you receive another message?" he asks and Dazai _slowly_ turns to him.

Ryu and Fyodor have huddled closer when they heard Chuuya’s shout, staring at the both of them as the streetlights cast an eerie glow on the sidewalk.

Fyodor notices the cold expression on Dazai’s face and makes to grab the brunette's other hand.

"Bro what's wrong?" Fyodor asks.

Dazai seems to be frozen, his eyes blinking yet somehow it looks like Dazai has lost them completely.

Then just as quickly, the expression fades away and Dazai's posture morphs into a _defensive_ stance. He squares his shoulders, thins his lips and fire dances violently in his eyes under the glow of the Diner's light.

When Dazai speaks, it chills the air, "I'm going…to fucking kill them all," he spits out and Chuuya’s eyes widen.

Dazai is gripping his phone so hard it's about to crack the screen, "I'm gonna kill them all and leave _him_ for last. If _he_ wants us to suffer, hah! I'll make him suffer **even** more!"

Fyodor jerks back and Chuuya vehemently drops his own hand from the brunette, he's never seen such a sadistic gleam in Dazai's eyes and he just…_'Did he just say he's going to kill someone?'_

Ryu is silent but it looks like he's seen a ghost, fear clearly written on the young boys' face and he idly presses against Chuuya side.

Chuuya gathers himself and speaks up, "What are you talking about, Dazai? Have you lost your mind a little?"

Dazai snickers and smirks, but his face is hollow and it sends a trail of _dread_ down his spine, "Lost my mind? Not at all, shortie~" he retorts and stomps toward his Impala, dropping his phone onto the pavement.

Fyodor chases after him, "And where do you think you're going?" he asks and stop Dazai in his tracks, standing in-between the car-door and his brother.

Dazai sneers, "**Move!**"

Fyodor flinches slightly but doesn't move, he gives Dazai a hesitant smile, "Bro, listen to yourself. You're _not_ thinking straight."

Dazai isn't hearing any of it and hovers over Fyodor, slamming his hand against the car-window, "Move, or I'll make you!" he snaps and Fyodor ducks underneath Dazai’s arm, scrambling away.

The three of them watch with confusion and _worry_ as Dazai climb into his Impala, starting the car and revving the engine like a mad-man.

The brunette has a dangerous aura around him and Chuuya is shell-shocked seeing him like this.

_'I know nothing, I know nothing about Dazai at all!'_ Chuuya thinks and gnashes his teeth.

But he has to think that the time they spent together wasn't for nothing, he got to know Dazai even though the brunette seemed reluctant to talk about his past and even now, as he watches Dazai grab to close the door - he can't let him go, he cares too much to let him go.

"Dazai, p-please wait!" he yells and sprints forward.

Dazai's burning auburn eyes **locks** with his and before he slams the car-door shut, he gives Chuuya a painful smile as he says: "Don't follow me," and then he takes a shuddering breath with tears forming in his eyes, "Goodbye," he says.

Chuuya’s heart catches in his throat and he wants to call after Dazai again but the brunette is already driving away.

The three of them are stunned and it's Fyodor who makes the first move to pick up Dazai's fallen phone from the pavement.

"Oh god, _now_ I understand. Ah fuck!" Fyodor retorts and turns to show them the message on the cracked screen. Ryu sucks in a breath and Chuuya feels sick at the sight.

> ** _"Snitches get Stitches. Rogue, you are in direct violation of the game and thus will suffer the consequences. You will now be granted a choice: save Snow or Koyo. Please choose a name within the next hour otherwise both associates will be terminated permanently. Best wishes - O.M'_ **

The message is clear and Chuuya wants to vomit, the text seems similar to the one he and Fyodor got but added an extra criteria.

_'Why would Dazai get a command and not them? Is the creators toying with them?'_ He feels like fainting but Ryu's grip on his shoulders grounds him.

And when Ryu speaks close to his ear, he can hear the tremble in the kid's tone, "Chuuya let's go to that friends of yours. We-we need all the help we can get."

Chuuya nods and tries to shake the haze of dizziness away from his mind, there's no use standing and stressing.

Dazai is gone to who knows where, Kyouka is kidnapped and Dazai and Fyodor’s adoptive mom is in danger too. Nerve has just given Dazai a choice to choose between Kyouka or Koyo and Chuuya can't _wrap_ his head around this.

All he knows is that they have to gather their strength and move.

_ **To Be Continued... **_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably need to elaborate on what's going on, but, hey it is part of the plot and I can't divulge all my secrets hehe~  
(I'm sure some of you noticed something interesting in Dazai's message though *wink* *wink*) 
> 
> Until next time then<3


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional Warnings for: mentioning of a sexual play room, woman's underwear, cussing, an injury and a tragic and emotionally unstable past.

* * *

Atsushi is pacing for 5 minutes straight, dragging his feet on the fluffy Persian carpet of Ranpo's gigantic living room. He's been waiting for Chuuya and his gang to arrive but they _haven't arrived yet_ and he's worried something might have happened.

He flinches when Ranpo speaks up behind him, coming to stand in front of him and handing him a bottled water.

The raven gives Atsushi a reassuring smile, "Sushi, no offense but you're driving me insane with all that pacing~" he chuckles and sits down on the leather couch.

Ranpo is dressed in a thin purple night-gown which exposes more skin than Atsushi would’ve liked but he can't focus on that now - besides, he's known Ranpo long enough to not care about the raven's weirdness.

He sighs and sips on the water, but keeps standing because he's too restless to sit. His fingers are _**itching**_ to try and call Chuuya again but Ranpo already scolded him for calling too many times.

He tries to change the subject, "Hey Ranpo, I knew you and Edgar were rich but, _wow,_ this place you got here. It's so big!"

Ranpo chuckles and gives Atsushi a quirky smile, the white Persian cat that's situated in the raven's lap are happily _purring_ while he cuddles her.

For a moment Atsushi wonders what Ranpo finds so interesting in all the Persian memorabilia and a sudden image flashes in his mind: 'Prince of Persia.'

_'Huh, imagining Ranpo as a Persian prince is somehow very fitting,'_ he thinks and can't help but grin silently.

"It's big yeah," Ranpo retorts, "At first we liked having such a big place but nowadays the silence can become _deafening_ and we want to scale down in the near future."

Atsushi hums, "I can understand that, but I should admit that your security system is amazing and-" his sentence is cut short by the ring of his phone inside his pocket.

He fishes it out with lightning speed and answers it even more quickly when he sees _who_ the caller is.

Atsushi puts Chuuya on speaker so that Ranpo, can listen too. He has to jerk the phone away though when Chuuya’s **frantic** tone booms into his eardrum.

_"...and I wanted to go grab a change of clothes _but_ the neighbours probably heard the gunshots and now the police are all over my apartment and Dazai left and fucking Fyodor left too. Fyodor said he's leaving and going as far away from this situation as possible, he left with a silver-haired guy Sushi. Fucking silver hair! And _now_ it's only me and Ryu and I forgot the address of your friends' place and please send it to me again-"_

Atsushi takes a deep breath, it's really horrible to hear Chuuya hyperventilate like that but before he can calm his friend down, Ranpo leans over to where Atsushi placed the phone on the small coffee table.

Ranpo's voice is steady and surprisingly warm when he speaks up.

"Hi, Chuuya this is Ranpo here~" he starts and over the receiver Chuuya’s breath hitches as he goes silent, "You're on speaker at the moment and it's so good to hear from you. We're glad that you and Ryu are safe, but tell me, are you the one driving?"

_"Uh, ye-yes but I don't know _where_ I'm going and I n-need someone to send me the location of your place so I can follow the GPS and good god damnit, my head is gonna explode-"_

Ranpo cuts Chuuya off again, "Chuuya hey, I'll send you the location but I need you to listen carefully. You are hyperventilating and it's dangerous to drive like that, does Ryu have a license?"

Atsushi gapes at Ranpo, he can't believe how well he's handling the situation.

He doesn’t know if he would've said all the things to Chuuya that Ranpo have said and he feels impressed and thankful at the same time.

Ranpo notices him staring and throws a mischievous wink at him, before plopping the cat in Atsushi's hands and grabbing the phone.

Chuuya’s voice wavers when he answers.

_"No, Ryu doesn't have a license yet. He's in the passenger seat holding my phone, _ugh,_ I don't understand why Dazai left like that and even Fyodor. They're hiding something and Dazai looked so different and he said he's gonna kill someone and shit, shit!"_

Atsushi frowns at hearing that, but he knows Chuuya shouldn't be trying to explain everything now. Chuuya should focus on the road and try to keep calm but it sounds as if his friend is on the verge of breaking point.

Ranpo lowers his voice, "Chuuya I need you to calm down, you can tell us all about what happened _once_ you two get here. Atsushi, Poe and I are waiting anxiously and we can't have you losing your cool now. How about you park somewhere and do some breathing exercises with Ryu. _Ryu?_ Ryu can you hear me?"

There's shuffling before Ryu's voice breaks the silence, _"Yes, I can hear you."_ He says and Atsushi can hear how worried and scared he sounds.

_'Damn this is horrible! All of this is horrible!'_ he thinks and gnashes his teeth, the cat hisses at him when he accidentally squeezes her too hard so he lets her go and she scrambles away with a growl.

Ranpo appears so calm and his voice is firm, "Ryu, I need you and Chuuya to stop for at least ten minutes and breathe. He can't drive like that otherwise we'll need to come and get you guys."

_"I understand,"_ Ryu retorts, _"Chuuya is okay, he's just rambling a little. He seems more _angry_ than _panicked_ but we'll stop to take a breather."_

Ranpo smiles, "Good, good. If he's just angry that's good. You're there with him so I'm sure you can take the lead when you notice it's getting _**too**_ much. I've sent our location, you both should try and calm down. Perhaps grab some McDonald's on your way."

_"Right,"_ Ryu answers before there's more shuffling and Chuuya’s speaking again.

_"Tell everyone I'm fine,"_ Chuuya grumbles, _"I'm just _**angry**_ and frustrated and yeah, I think grabbing a bite will make us feel better even though I'm _not_ hungry. Do you guys want anything?"_

Atsushi chuckles and leans over the couch to speak into the phone, "Nah~ Chuuya, we're fine. Be safe and get here quickly please."

_"Oh Sushi!"_ Chuuya chirps, _"Haha, I was wondering where you were. Okay, alright we'll see you guys then in about half an hour. In the meantime you should _probably_ try calling Ichiyo too, she might be in danger since she was part of our group."_

Atsushi hums, "I already did and thankfully she said she didn't receive any messages from Nerve, she's safe in LA for the moment _but_ I told her to keep her guard up. Edgar is busy hacking her phone from his computer so we can track her movements and _any_ suspicious activity that might appear on her phone."

_"Good, that's great news. Did you guys receive the message from Nerve too?"_

"I did, but Ranpo and Edgar didn't. I don't think the creators can track the both of them."

Chuuya huffs, _"Okay, oh! That reminds me, while you wait for us, see if you guys can find anything relevant to Nerve that relates to Fyodor and Dazai. I have_ **this…uncomfortable**_ hunch they know more than they let on. Dazai received a message saying he must choose between Kyouka and his adoptive mother, Koyo within the hour. Which doesn't make any sense _unless_ the creators know Dazai's family on a personal level."_

Atsushi frowns, "Okay, Ranpo heard everything and we'll get right on it. But are you-I mean are you sure you want us to snoop?"

Chuuya laughs but the sound is broken and pained, _"Haha, at this point I can't care. There's too much at stake and stupid Dazai is probably making stupid decisions as we speak. He had that '_I'm gonna get to the bottom of this if this is the last thing I do'_ look on his face and I don't want him getting hurt."_

"Alright, we understand," Ranpo pipes up, "You two get moving now and we'll see you in a few, bye~" and hangs up.

Ranpo didn't wait for Chuuya to say goodbye but Atsushi thinks it's probably best otherwise his feisty friend might never stop talking. Which is amazing since Ranpo is yet again, great at reading a situation or for that matter, reading Chuuya’s emotions over the phone without even seeing him.

Ranpo clicks the phone shut and hands it to Atsushi, the raven drags a hand over his face before nudging Atsushi to follow him.

They move away from the living room to join Edgar in their study, the taller raven is sitting working on his computer system and when he notices them entering he gives Atsushi a _knowing_ look.

Ranpo goes to stand behind Edgar, glaring down on the screen, "What were you able to accomplish, Poe? You heard our conversation right?"

Edgar scoffs, sipping on a cup of coffee, but the coffee has a _familiar_ scent of Brandy in it and Atsushi grimaces. He can't blame Edgar though, he feels like having a stronger drink than water for himself too.

"I heard," Edgar huffs, "I hacked Ichiyo's phone, hacked Chuuya’s phone, Atsushi's phone _**and**_ Ryu's phone. But it seems like Fyodor dropped from the grid, Dazai too, so we can't track them. I'm _currently_ following Chuuya’s car through the traffic cameras. Here, look."

He leans back in his chair so Ranpo and Atsushi can take a look, there's six camera feeds following Chuuya’s movements as he drives down the highway.

Atsushi can see the familiar inscription that traces specific servers and he's impressed because somehow Edgar has put it on a sequence that automatically shows the cameras when Chuuya’s car is recognized.

Edgar can happily sit back and watch the inscription run, following the car's movement - even when they stop at McDonald's and Atsushi smirks happily when Chuuya orders two Big Macs and milkshakes for him and Ryu.

Atsushi hums, "They seem fine, thank you Poe."

"Oh don't thank me yet," Edgar scoffs and cracks his neck, "I haven't made a lot of progress regarding Kyouka. There's no cameras in Chuuya’s block of flats and the traffic-camera angles across the street didn't catch a glimpse of anything."

Ranpo idly places his hands on Edgar's shoulders, gently massaging at the tension as he speaks down to him, "Don't worry Poe, we'll get them. They _crossed_ the line and once we get dirt on them we can have them arrested. My only worry though is that Chuuya mentioned Dazai saying he had an hour to choose between Kyouka and Koyo."

Atsushi winces, "I'm worried about that too, _I mean,_ what do these people gain anyway? Their Watchers and Players are all gone now. They're just after us as if-"

"As if they want revenge?" Ranpo quirks an eyebrow, "Seems so, but my intuition tells me that this runs much deeper. We should follow Chuuya’s instructions and see what information we can find on Fyodor and Dazai's family."

Edgar sighs and exchange a look with Atsushi, Atsushi gulps and clears his throat.

"Actually Ranpo, I already have some information about Osamu Dazai. I uh," he _hesitates_ when Ranpo stops massaging Edgar and frowns at him.

Luckily Edgar saves him, "I gave Atsushi the information regarding the guy, he was worried about Chuuya’s safety that's all."

Ranpo pouts, "Aw~ Sushi, why didn't you ask me?"

"Well, I uh, _didn't_ want to bother you again, that's all. You've done so much for us already," Atsushi stammers and scratches his head sheepishly.

"But-" Edgar starts, "That information was hard to come by, even for me. Dazai didn't want anyone snooping into his past it seems, here look." Edgar swivels out of the chair so Ranpo can take a seat instead.

Atsushi has read the information but he finds himself leaning forward to peer at the screen too.

There's nothing new to read, Ranpo can analyze the information now and tell them his opinion.

_'Honestly, I can't see any connections even though I've read it a couple of times,'_ Atsushi thinks to himself.

He's not as good as Ranpo and Edgar regarding detective-work and if anybody can make a connection it's gonna be mister 'Ranpo, the greatest detective alive'.

Ranpo whistles, "Woah! This is a lot~" he screeches, "And here _I_ thought me and Poe are at the top of the list of the condemned."

Edgar slaps a fist on Ranpo's head and grumbles, "Hey you shitty glasses, I ask for forgiveness for my sins every single night. _Unlike_ you!"

Ranpo grins and spins around in his chair to coo at Edgar, "Aw~ my baby thinks he's worthy of the reckoning, how cute~" he cups the taller raven's cheeks playfully, "You should ask for forgiveness every hour then babe, with the way we have sex-"

Atsushi sputters and blushes, Edgar pushes Ranpo away from him in a hiss, "Hey mind your language, there's a kid with us!"

"Oh right," Ranpo grins, "Sorry Sushi~"

Edgar rubs at his temples and straightens his own gown - a velvety blue one - before finishing his brandy-flavored coffee in one go.

"So what do you think?" Edgar asks, crossing his arms, "Oh Great Detective Ranpo."

Ranpo chuckles and schools his face, he _frowns_ and turns back to the computer with a more serious and rigid posture.

"Well," Ranpo starts and cracks his knuckles, "Dazai and Fyodor's current adoptive father is my prime suspect. This Ogai Mori, I've heard of him _before_ and if I'm not mistaken he's the leader of one of the underground's biggest gangs. There's not much information about him, but I'm _pretty_ sure he has people working for him and they are the creators of Nerve."

Atsushi hums, "How did you make that connection?" he asks trying to wrap his head around this.

"Look at these elusive photos," Ranpo points to the screen, "Ogai Mori's gang is known to wear those _skull-masks_ and only black clothes with hoodies. It matches the description of some of the previous Watchers of Nerve, I saw them in the crowd that night when Chuuya faked his death,"

Atsushi recoils when he remembers Dazai confronting him in the alley wearing _**exactly**_ the same attire.

"...and Ogai Mori is _known_ to create such elaborate schemes. There were previous incidents like this a few years ago…but the point is, he's _dangerous_ and Dazai is probably out to get revenge on his adoptive father. He probably has first-hand knowledge on where to find him."

"Goddamnit," Edgar curses, "With Dazai's history and affiliation with his father's gang, it won't surprise me if he _really_ wants to kill the guy, I mean look-" he points to the screen.

"Breaking and entering, multiple accounts of assault, underage prostitution, _damn,_ Dazai's list just goes on."

Atsushi sighs, "Yes, but listen. You guys I've talked to Dazai and even though I don't trust him completely I, he's much different from what I've observed and-" he wrings his hands nervously, "Dazai told me that his friend who died, _Oda,_ helped him change and he doesn't want to go back to the person he was."

Ranpo quirks a brow, "Really?" he asks and taps his chin, "And gathering from what Chuuya said, he still cares about him a lot so…we should try our best to help Dazai too."

"I agree," Edgar huffs and takes a seat, at another computer and starts typing, "Ranpo you work on trying to gather everything you can that can lead us to Kyouka, I'll work on trying to find Dazai."

Atsushi leans down to tap Edgar's shoulder, "What about me? Can I help?" he asks.

Edgar shakes his head and smiles, "We got this, try to relax Atsushi. Chuuya will probably be glad to see your face first thing once they arrive. Go make yourself _comfortable_ and wait for them in the front."

Ranpo agrees, his fingers typing fervently, "Yup~ Now leave us Sushi, go on, shoo!"

He clicks his tongue and leaves the study, but trying to relax is **_hard._**

He has so much to think about and now he's worried about Dazai too.

As he plops himself down on the couch again, he closes his eyes, _hopes_ and _prays_ that the person Chuuya loves isn't making the biggest mistake of his life.

_'Dazai, wherever you are and whatever you do, please just remember that there are people who care about you.'_

* * *

Atsushi is fast asleep on the leather couch when Chuuya’s voice finally rings through the security-gate intercom.

He slowly blinks himself awake only to find a heavy weight resting on his chest and restricting his movements, he doesn't register the fact that Ranpo has pressed the button to allow Chuuya inside and when he opens his eyes - Ryu and Chuuya is staring down at him.

Ryu is _smiling_ down at him and Chuuya is snickering, Atsushi doesn't understand why but when he looks at his chest, he finds the white Persian cat and the light-brown Tabby sleeping soundly without a care in the world.

He blushes and gently sits up to focus on the guests.

Ryu bends down to cuddle the cats, the raven boy is smiling from ear or ear, "Aw cute!" he says and scratches behind the Tabby's ears. With the way Atsushi is sitting, he feels Ryu's hand accidentally brushing over his thigh and bristles.

_'You're even cuter,'_ Atsushi thinks and yelps at his abrupt and very intrusive thought.

Ryu frowns, "Is something wrong?" he asks and Atsushi sputters, trying his best not to blush.

"N-no," he answers and moves to get up, "I think I felt one of them scratch me, that's all. Anyway, hey Chuuya!"

Atsushi flings himself around his friend, hugging him close and feeling happy and relieved to see him.

Chuuya looks much more relaxed than how he _sounded_ over the phone.

"Hey Sushi," Chuuya chuckles and hugs him back, "Good to see you, how've you been? Sorry we woke you."

"Pfff, Chuu~ya," he waves him off and heads for the kitchen, Chuuya follows him with Ranpo in tow, "I'm good, I've _already_ made myself at home in Ranpo's mansion. We're more worried about Kyouka and Dazai-" he trails off, he doesn't actually want to talk about this now.

Instead he changes the topic and gives Chuuya a warm smile, "Do you want anything, maybe to drink? Coffee? _Tea?_ Water?"

Chuuya chuckles and ruffles his hair, "No thanks Sushi, as much as I appreciate the hospitality, I want us to gather around and talk. There's no time to waste."

* * *

"So, basically Daz- I mean, _Osamu._ His adoptive father Ogai Mori raised him in a gang for seven years, now Dazai wants to get his revenge because Ogai needs Dazai to choose between his mother and Kyouka and-" Chuuya says and then blinks.

He's still surprised at all the new information that he's hearing. He can barely comprehend it all and he's having a hard time storing it away in his head.

_'<strike>Daz</strike>-, Osamu's wrap sheet is so ominous and I had no idea, damnit, I need to get used to his real name.'_

Atsushi cuts him off, "Hold on, we don't know whether Osamu _**chose**_ to be part of Ogai's gang or not. For all we know he could've been manipulated. I mean, what thirteen-year-old _kid_ chooses to be in a gang if he has a healthy family life," Atsushi frowns, "There's more to Osamu's past so we shouldn't assume the worst."

"And we're not one-hundred percent positive that Ogai Mori is actually behind all this," Ryu chimes into the conversation, voicing his own thoughts.

All of them are situated in Ranpo's _huge_ living room, conversing and discussion the situation.

It's way past 3 a.m already and Chuuya can't stop thinking about <strike>Dazai</strike> Osamu's text - now that an hour has gone, he wonders if the brunette is safe or not.

None of them have received any further texts from Nerve, and that's really _**aggravating**_ because this just goes to show that Nerve or the creators of Nerve, has a grudge against <strike>Dazai</strike> Osamu.

Atsushi clears his throat, "_Actually_ Ryu, we are quite positive that Ogai Mori is the creator of Nerve. Whether he paid people to make the game or made it himself, we're sure his gang is behind this."

Ryu snaps his fingers, his eyes twinkling as he looks at Sushi, "Oh right, you said that Osamu wore the exact same mask when he confronted you, the _same_ mask that's been previously seen on some of Nerve's Watchers and Ogai's gang members. What's the name of his gang again?"

"He's actually the boss of the mafia in this part of the country," Ranpo's voice drawls, the raven grins at the group when Chuuya gasps.

"What!?" Chuuya guffaws, "I mean uh, fuck that's not good!"

"Yeah," Edgar hums and kicks Ranpo in the side from where he's sitting, his legs stretched out over Ranpo's lap, "Ranpo has no tact as usual,_ but it's true._ I had to dig a little deeper but I eventually found out. They're known as the **'Black Orchids'** in this part of the state. Unfortunately we still got nothing to get them officially arrested."

"Plus they _warned_ us not to get the authorities involved," Atsushi adds, he looks quite awkward sitting alongside Ryu sharing a couch and Chuuya keeps wondering why Sushi is blushing so much.

Chuuya sighs and starts biting the nail of the next finger, at this point he'll have _no_ nails left, "This is frustrating!" he snaps, "What guarantee do we have that these people won't just kill Kyouka?! What if she’s already-" he stops himself when his voice **cracks** and he hiccups, he quickly looks away from the group.

_'What if they already k-killed her?!'_ he thinks while remembering the gunshots and accidentally bites a little deeper, making his thumb bleed.

He swipes his hand over his face and steels his mind, but he can't stop thinking about her, can't stop thinking about Osamu and their apartment.

Instead he speaks up before someone else can, "I _wonder_ if the police found anything in my apartment. If they could find the slot from the gun or bullet, they could probably trace the weapon."

Suddenly Ranpo jumps up from the couch, hitting Edgar in his stomach in the process of his scrambling and Chuuya winces.

Ranpo scurries over to him and smirks, he has a mischievous gleam in his eye and Chuuya has to try his best not to stare at the guys' silky gown that keeps falling down to expose his collarbones.

_'Holy crap, where do Atsushi find these people?'_

"Chuuya, that's a great idea!" Ranpo screeches, "Edgar can hack into the police-files to see if they found anything in your apartment. Aw~ why didn't I think of this sooner?"

"Hey dumbass," Edgar snaps and grabs Ranpo by the belt of his gown, jerking him away from Chuuya to give him room to breathe, "That's a good idea, _except_ for the part that their systems only update after 24 hours. We'll have to wait another plus-minus twelve hours before we can hack that."

Ryu suddenly jumps up, the kid looks excited as he chirps, "Hey guys! How about we organize a mission? We can call it a _stealth_ operation to infiltrate the police station and retrieve the information."

Chuuya recoils at hearing that because, _'Has Ryu lost his mind?'_ But apparently Atsushi and Ranpo thinks it's a good idea as they beam at the kid.

Ranpo chirps, "Yes~ We can send two people, one person can act as a distraction while the other person infiltrate to gather the files-"

Chuuya frowns and cuts him off, "I hate to break it to you guys, but every second we spend _sitting_ here like a bunch of idiots-" he clenches his jaw, "-the more time we _waste_ that we could've spent looking for my sister who's, oh ya know, in mortal fucking danger!"

He didn’t mean to sound so angry but Chuuya is _**beyond**_ exhausted and nervous, sitting here with all these people just talking while they could've been out looking around is..._frustrating._

Atsushi puts a reassuring hand on Chuuya’s shoulder and it calms him a little, Sushi's voice is soft as he speaks, "Chuuya hey, we're all frustrated," he says with a warm smile, "But _unfortunately_ we can't do anything without having a single thing to trace Kyouka with. It's sad but the fact remains that Edgar and Ranpo have nothing to go on and what's more, even Osamu is now unreachable."

Chuuya nods, he knows it is true and sighs, "_Sorry,_ it's just that- You saw the text from Nerve, <strike>Daz</strike>-, Osamu had to choose between my little sister and his mother within an hour and it's now _way_ past that. He didn’t choose a name, instead he went after them and _shit,_ I'm so worried!"

"We understand Chuuya," Edgar hums from the couch, "Time is of the essence, for now we can only hope that Osamu succeeded in _whatever_ he planned to do. The only way we can help the situation is coming up with plans to gather more information."

Chuuya nods, "Yes, I suppose Ryu's plan could work then. Who's gonna go though?"

This time Ranpo chuckles, "Well, what better distraction do you get then a _seductively_ sexy lady?" he wiggles his eyebrows and Chuuya scowls, not understanding where this conversation is going.

Edgar hums, "Good point, we'll have to send the two people in our group who can dress up as women, but who-" he scans the room before his eyes land on Chuuya and Atsushi.

Chuuya recoils, "Why me?!" he stammers.

Atsushi is _equally_ confused as he speaks up, his cheeks flushed, "Yeah, why us?"

Ranpo smiles at them, "You two have longer hair and I've known Sushi long enough, I've seen how persuasive he can be when he has to do a speech in our college class."

_'Atsushi can be persuasive in a seductive way? I've never seen that, but I guess when it comes to things he feels strongly about he can be pretty persuasive.'_ Chuuya thinks to himself, silently assessing Sushi's traits.

"Alright so it's settled," Ranpo claps happily, "Now follow me you two, let's get you dressed while Edgar sets-up the mission-gear we'll need."

Chuuya and Atsushi follows behind the raven as he leads them down the hall, but Chuuya frowns, "You have women's clothing here in your place?" he asks.

Ranpo chuckles as he swings open the door of a dark room, when he switches on the lights - Atsushi _gasps_ and his own eyes blows wide at the reddish-glow the room provides.

There's _**fluff**_ everywhere with strange things that looks like weapons hanging from the walls.

Chuuya doesn't want to let his mind wander but this room _awfully_ looks like…and he has to shake his head, his brain is wandering into a dangerous territory and he can feel his cheeks burning at the thought of imagining **exactly** what activities Ranpo and Edgar do here.

_'Holy shit, focus Chuuya!'_ he reprimands himself.

Ranpo swings open one of the drawers of the big dressing-table that centers the room and shows them the stack of woman clothes.

Chuuya and Atsushi examines the clothes but he feels so out of place, he doesn't know what to choose and _damn_ this is awkward as heck.

As he searches through the clothes, Chuuya’s fingers touch something cold and metallic and he takes it out _without_ thinking.

In his hand sits a pair of handcuffs, rimmed on the outside with white fur and Chuuya sweatdrops. Beside him, he can feel poor Atsushi stiffen like a rock, it's only now that he notices Atsushi is holding a pair of silky panties and he's looking at it like some _foreign_ apparition. Ranpo probably saw their reaction because the raven laughs out loud.

Chuuya rolls his eyes, _'I'm not drunk enough for this shit.'_

** _To Be Continued... _ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I mention that English is not my 1st language? Please ignore my grammar mistakes and if you have advice, I'll always accept advice :-)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey...how's it going?

Chuuya doesn't know how to act anymore, on one side he's super pissed because the hour is running out and at the same time he's really anxious regarding the threat to his sister's life.

And although the plan they've come up with seem legit and good, it's frustrating because of all the aspects that needs to be taken into account and by his current calculations, it would be impossible to get their hands on the necessary information at the police station while also trying to find a location based on the information.

There's not enough time.

But…what about Dazai?

'Did he manage to find anything or anyone? Jeez, the bastard worries me especially after that declaration of killing intent,' he thinks to himself while biting his lip and gnashing his teeth together.

'Would Dazai (Osamu) actually kill someone?'

Chuuya saw the brunette's information, he's still shocked about what he read while simultaneously feeling guilty knowing so much about Dazai's past - 'Holy crap, I need to get used to his full name now!'

Osamu Dazai had a hard life, that's for sure. Harder than most people at least. His adoptive father is a mafia gang boss…that is saying so much and for sure probably one of the biggest reasons regarding Osamu's list of felonies.

Ougai Mori had probably had contributed to the brunette's bad decisions and Chuuya has to wonder exactly how deep the list runs.

When he sees Osamu again, he's sure to coax the guy into talking because it's high time the secretive lanky bastard opens up more, after all, it's better to talk than to keep things cropped up. If anything, he justs wants to see Osamu be honest and not smile with that fake-smiles he usually does.

He wants Osamu to trust him and…

'Hold on, since when have I started thinking about these things?' Chuuya rubs at his aching temples, trying to process his line of thought before sucking in a breath and blowing it out steadily.

He smiles gingerly as he realises something very obvious at this point and he could just kick himself for not accepting the truth sooner.

I actually care about him, like, like a lot.'

"Let's go!" Atsushi exclaims as he slaps Chuuya on the shoulder and out of his reverie. He has to hold back a chuckle when his friend comes into full view, displaying the ridiculous outfit…which surprisingly enough, doesn't look bad at all.

Has Atsushi always had female characteristics or is his friend just talented at basically everything?

"Is everything alright?" Atsushi asks, "You seem a bit…"

"Let's just go, we're wasting time." Chuuya says curtly, snapping more rather than anything else. "The thought of my sister having a knife to her throat isn't exactly a pleasant thought so, sorry for being a bit on edge Sushi."

Atsushi waves him off, "Nah, I understand. I've been putting my faith in Dazai if I'm being honest. We can only hope, you know?"

Chuuya blinks, the water behind his eyes are threatening to crash with each minute and each second wasted as the arms of the clock ticks by.

"I know, I know." Chuuya says with a sigh, opting to swing open the door of Ranpo and Poe's mansion.

He feels more than uncomfortable dressed as a women but he doesn't focus on that too much, his mind is preoccupied with more important things.

Chuuya’s slender fingers only grazes the door before the ring of the outside-gate intercom vibrates through the mansion walls, signaling somebody outside.

The air stills and Chuuya can practically feel everyone's tension rising, even Ranpo and Poe stiffen where they are sitting in the living room.

They aren't expecting any visitors so this can only mean…?

Chuuya’s heartbeat slams against his ribcage as a wave of ice washes over him, his hand tremble slightly and he feels as if he can't move when Dazai's voice echoe from the intercom.

"Hey guys," Osamu breathes out as if he's having a hard time, and then he coughs horribly that it makes Chuuya flinch, "C-can you open the gate for me p-please? Kyouka is with me, well, she's sleeping at the moment but…"

'My little sister?' Chuuya’s mind is already in overdrive so when he hears the mention of his sister’s name he nearly breaks the door down.

But it's Ryu who breaks the silence, "Uhm, Ranpo are we just gonna stand here or are we opening the gate?"

The question snaps the older raven man into action as he wordlessly scramble to press the button for the gate, Chuuya doesn't have time to process his surroundings before Osamu Dazai stroll through the front door carrying a sleeping Kyouka in his arms.

With an obvious fake and tired smile splayed on his face, Osamu gracefully places his sister on the couch without a word because everyone is too busy staring at his red-stained and tousled appearance.

The brunette looks like he just walked out of a fight with the way he's limping, a deep bruise forming over his eye and cuts on various exposed spots of skin.

Wordlessly he sits down onto the smaller couch, his calculating eyes scan everybody who's staring at him as if assessing if anyone's a threat to him and the girl he apparently saved, before he closes his eyes and decide to speak.

Dazai's voice is hushed yet firm as he leans back into the leather, "Before I take a nap, I just wanna say, hot damn shortie, did you dress like that specially for me? What a beautiful sight to see after all the violence…" and then, just like that, Osamu's words die with him as he passes out.  
_

Dazai blinks into consciousness, his limbs are aching and the worst of his injuries being a stab wound on his upper-thigh, is rubbing against his jeans with a mixture of dried and still bleeding blood. Luckily the knife didn't cut his main artery in his thigh otherwise he would've bled out before he could even save Chuuya’s little sister.

He's glad he didn't bleed out though because the look on Chuuya’s face when he saw him carrying Kyouka through the door was absolutely precious and he wouldn't trade that for anything.  
Chuuya cares a lot for his sister, Dazai knows that and therefore he took the risk to go after her. After all, Mori is easy enough for him to find.

'But damn, they beat me up good. Mori was prepared for me, the bastard, he knew I was coming.'

"Hey Daz-, Osamu, you awake? You look pale and there's a dark spot forming on your pants dude." Atsushi's voice rings beside him and Dazai flinches slightly at the noise, his head is pounding and all the lights in this big mansion isn't helping either.

He squeezes out a small smile anyway and looks up at Atsushi where he's leaning over him, "Yup," Dazai chirps, "It was a piece of cake. Kyouka is drugged but unharmed, she'll probably wake up in about two hours, you guys are welcome!"

"Welcome?" Chuuya barks out and Dazai distinctly realize that Atsushi is also dressed like a girl.  
He raises an eyebrow in question as Chuuya stomps toward him with a scowl, the red-head jabs a finger onto his chest.

"You! You…? You, I-" Chuuya seems to be unable to express himself and it makes Dazai chuckle, which isn't a good idea because Chuuya clenches his jaw and grabs for his collar.

Chuuya’s breath skims over Dazai's nose as he draws him closer, "Dazai you…I mean Osamu, you reckless suicidal bastard! You come here covered in scrapes and blood and the first thing that leaves your mouth is, ugh, I don't even wanna know how you got those bruises."

"Obviously he got them from saving your sister," Poe says from where he's busy in the kitchen.

"...yeah, he might've even killed a few. Ain't that right, Osamu Dazai?" Ranpo retorts with a smirk and Dazai has to stop himself from balling his fists as a wave of anger washes over him.

But Ranpo isn't bothered and continues, "Adoptive son of Mori Ougai, a man that sends fear into the heart of his underlings. I'm glad you know, that you managed to save Kyouka…" he trails off and hovers over the back of the couch Dazai is sitting on.

Ranpo smirks as he glares down at Dazai, "I'm glad because I can't imagine you living with the guilt if Mori actually harmed or dared to kill Kyouka. After all, you probably know how Mori operates considering he raised you and Fyodor for a few years."

Dazai sighs, he knows that Ranpo is challenging him and even though the lot of them CLEARLY dug into his past (which is really…feels awful to say the least) he knows they also deserve an explanation after everything they've been through.

He closes his eyes and steadies himself slowly with his elbows onto his knees, careful not to move too much in case he gets lightheaded.

If anything, one of the things he dislikes most is to appear WEAK in front of others.

Suddenly a more gentle voice breaks the silence and Dazai doesn't know this kid that well, but he can tell by the looks on the other's faces that they are stunned to hear him speak in such a way.

Ryu pushes his way through the crowd hovering over Dazai and sits himself down on the coffee table in front of the brunette and within reaching distance. To Dazai’s bewilderment, the kid is carrying a first-aid kid.

"Let's not crowd Dazai too much," Ryu says as he opens the kit, "The guy just saved your sister Chuuya," he scolds, "And it looks like he's injured in more ways than one, so back off and let me help him first."

"S-sorry!" Atsushi immediately apologizes and scurries away, "But it'll probably be a good idea to do it in the bathroom don't you think? Osamu is going to get blood all over Ranpo's couch."

Ryu rolls his eyes as if Atsushi's has grown two heads before answering, "If I didn't have first-aid training I'd be calling you all 'idiots' since it's obvious Dazai won't even make it a few steps before passing out again."

Chuuya sucks in a breath, "What? Are you serious? And the bastard just sssits there!?"

"Let go of him Chuuya," Ryu scolds again, "There's better ways to show exactly how worried you are rather than bursting an artery. Help me instead and go look for scissors so we can cut a hole in his pants."

Dazai chuckles as Chuuya snaps into action, as if only now realizing how childish he's acting and hurries to go look for a pair of scissors.

"Uh, Ryu right?" Dazai asks in a scratchy tone as he stares to observe the raven-boy curiously while he's busy getting a bottle of disinfectant ready. "I don't know you that well, but thanks."

"You're welcome," Ryu smiles sweetly which is a stark contrast to his sharp eyes and scolding just now, "Can you show me all the serious injuries?"

Somewhere Ranpo coughs out, "Fan-boy, ahem, Ryu totally stalked your Nerve profile Osamu. Just saying…"

Ryu gives Ranpo a sour look but the man just laughs when Ryu's irritation spikes as he asks, "Did you hack my search-history or something? That's not cool!"

"It's okay," Dazai reassures the blushing boy, "I had a lot of followers on Nerve, I never really met any of them in person so I'm happy I can meet you at least."

Ryu looks as if he's frozen in place and Dazai has to do a double-take with the way the boy is staring at him. A mixture of admiration and pride gleams in his eyes and it is weird, he's never seen somebody look at him with…admiration?

He opens his mouth to speak but for some reason he doesn't really know what to say and also, his words goes dry on his tongue as dizziness bursts from his seems like a hurricane and he has to grip his knees just to steady himself.

It's useless, he's going to pass-out again and damnit, he didn’t want them all to see him like this.

Ryu is shaking his shoulders but Dazai's eyes are swimming and why…why are they shouting yet he can't make out what they're saying?

Chuuya’s is suddenly also in front of him with a deeply concerned look on his face while Ryu is doing, something, with the first-aid kit.

Dazai isn't sure what's going on, just the fact that he wants to sleep grows stronger along with the growing numbness crawling up from his waist…oh shit, oh right!

He probably should've told them there's still a bullet buried in his back somewhere…exactly where, he isn't sure but he hoped and prayed that it didn't hit anything vital. Not until he got to save Kyouka and bring her back to Chuuya.

Now? Now it's alright because Kyouka is safe and Chuuya is happy.

The voices in front of him sound so far away and his vision is swimming with black spots and…wait, has there been fluid in his lungs for a while now and he didn't notice?

"Oh my god! He's spitting up blood!" Atsushi squeals.

"He needs a hospital, my first-aid training won't be enough. There's something else wrong with him." Ryu's alarmed voice rings as the raven tries to keep Dazai steady by holding onto his shoulders.

"I'll carry him to the car," Chuuya barks.

Ah, it's so nice to know that his feisty red-head is nearby. Oh since when did he consider Chuuya to be his?

'I'm possessive I guess, but who wouldn't be? Shortie is such a good person, a person I don't even deserve,' he thinks as he drifts away.

'Yeah, I don't deserve any of this. It's so surreal and I'm happy because now…Now I can rest for good.'

_

How is this even happening? 

Chuuya is pacing rapidly, his mind livid with anxiety and thoughts he can't voice because of his trembling. Instead he paces in the waiting area of the hospital like a mad-man while Ryu, Ranpo and Poe sits and try their best to comfort him. 

It's useless though, they're voices are unable to penetrate him and in his state, the group can only watch as Chuuya trudge a gorge in the ground while bypassers give them curious and confused glares. 

Osamu is hurt, hurt badly by the looks of it and the bastard didn't say anything! Who does he think he is? Making Chuuya worry for him? 

He stops his pacing and bites the nail of his thumb as an awful thought hits him. What if…what if Osamu doesn't make it? The doctor said he's in surgery right now due to a gun shot wound that went straight into his kidney. The surgical team is performing a surgery to remove his kidney and fix whatever damage the bullet might have caused. 

Atsushi is currently back at the mansion, he stayed in case Kyouka wakes up so she will feel safe seeing a familiar face. Chuuya was torn between staying behind and going to the hospital BUT in the end he came to the hospital since his little sister isn't in danger anymore and… 

…and because he really has grown close to Osamu Dazai. 

With everything they've been through together, right now his heart aches just thinking of the possibility that the brunette won't survive. He should stay positive - being negative won't make the situation any better and besides, Osamu is one hell of a tough maniac. 

Chuuya jumps when a hand rests on his shoulder and he turns his attention to Ranpo, the raven man is still dressed in his night gown because they scrambled to the hospital so quickly rather than doing anything else. People are probably thinking they are weird or something, while frankly he couldn't care less about that right now. 

"Chuuya you should take a breather," Ranpo comforts steadily, "I know it might be hard given the circumstances, but it's not healthy to stress yourself out like this."

Chuuya nearly snaps at the man because, how can he not be stressed? But he cools himself since he knows Ranpo's just trying to help. 

"Maybe I should sit down for a bit," Chuuya retorts and turn on his heel to take a seat but is stopped when the doctor comes back down the hall towards them. 

Chuuya nearly screams how happy he is to finally receive some news, yet, the grim expression on the doctor's face has him recoiling. 

The doctor pulls down his mask to regard them, "I have some news about your friend Osamu Dazai and I'm afraid you won't be liking it." The air drops by a few degrees and nobody speaks at the tall man's declaration. 

"My team of surgeons are doing the best they can," he continues, "The bullet appears to have been shot at close-range. It went clean through the young man's left kidney and into his lower spine. We're working very carefully in removing the object without causing damage to his nervous system. But I can't promise anything at this point, for now we're luckily that he's still alive considering the amount of blood loss."

Chuuya sucks in a breath and his knees buckle. This isn't what he wanted to hear! What is this guy saying? That Dazai might actually die?! 

Holy shit, this isn't happening! 

A collective intake of breaths sounds from the group and he knows that the news probably comes as a shock to the rest of them too. But for Chuuya…

...it feels like something is swallowing his heart deeper and deeper. 

Osamu Dazai helped him survive Nerve when he took the stupid chance in playing it, Osamu Dazai risked his life and saved Kyouka, Osamu Dazai made Chuuya laugh and do wild and fun things together. The brunette sings to him, compliments him, teases him and most of all…he feels like himself when he's with Dazai.

The bastard, the suicidal yet very heroic and self-sacrificing bastard! He can't die now, there's no way! 

And yet…here the doctor stands and tells Chuuya that there's a chance Osamu won't make it. Now he will have to hope and pray that the guy he fell in love with pulls through. His heart already belongs to the brunette and it will be so tragic if Chuuya’s heart breaks now. 

45 minutes later

Chuuya is fast asleep on Ryu's shoulder, the red-head's fatigue caused him to collapse after constant pacing. Ryu kinda feels out of place for some reason, he doesn’t know Chuuya or any of them that well. Besides the fact that Chuuya’s sister is his girlfriend, there really isn't any reason for him being here. 

He's always been somewhat insecure of himself, but right now he's actually glad that he could be of assistance to them. Although he failed to see how serious Osamu's injuries were, he wonders if they're angry with him. Nobody seems angry though, most of them are just worried about Dazai.

Damn, Dazai single-handedly rescued Kyouka. Ever since his major increase of popularity within Nerve, Ryu has always looked up to the brunette. He used to stalk his profile and watch his videos constantly. But who wouldn't? The brunette is a force to be reckoned with - a fearless, daring guy who smirks at challenges and takes life by leaps and bounds.

This situation is way too much, but he tries his best to keep his composure even though inside of him it feels like every blood vessel is waging a war and the tears he's been holding back, threatening to spill. In situations like this it's best to stay positive and he's already prayed more than once just like his parents taught him. 

Faith and hope…it's what keeps people grounded even for a little while. 

Unconsciously Ryu strokes some stray hair out of Chuuya’s sleeping face and when he realizes what he's doing, he immediately pulls his hand back but grimaces when he sees that Chuuya is drooling. Gah, gross. 

"Ryu, do you mind if me and Ranpo go grab some drinks?" Poe whispers as the two raven-men get up to stretch, "We'll only be gone for a minute, I need to call Sushi to make sure he's fine. Do you want anything?" 

Ryu gulps as his cheeks redden, he's not used to being considered part of a group and hearing Poe offer him something simple as a drink makes his heart flutter. He's always been somewhat a loner due to constant studying and after-school activities. 

He clears his throat, "Ah thank you Edgar, can I maybe get some juice or just water?" 

Poe gives him a warm smile and a thumbs-up before he turns down the hall and leave with Ranpo trailing behind him. The two raven-men might not look it but Ryu can see the sag in their shoulders from anxiety. All of them have been on edge ever since they decided to stop Nerve and even more so when Kyouka got kidnapped. 

But wait…has anyone been asking about Dazai's adoptive mom? Didn't they give him a choice between Kyouka and his mom? Damn, he forgot the woman's name! Did Dazai choose Kyouka or did he manage to save both? 

Ryu bites his lip and starts to squirm, accidentally the movement makes Chuuya slide down from his shoulder and the red-head jerks with confusion and half-lidded eyes. 

"D-Dazai?" Chuuya mumble out and Ryu quickly mutters a 'shhh' as he tries to soothe the red-head back to sleep. Chuuya groans when Ryu strokes his fingers onto his scalp and falls asleep again, this time squirming to rest his head on Ryu's lap. 

Ryu holds back a blush but it's useless and Chuuya is tickling him with the way he's nuzzling his nose into Ryu's stomach. 'Not awkward at all.'

Suddenly he startles when the Doctor comes into view and hovers over them, the tall man's face doesn't look as bleek as it did before and Ryu's heart immediately swells with hope. When the doctor speaks, his voice sounds tired yet positive. 

"Osamu Dazai will survive," he says with a tired smile, "Luckily there weren't any complications with the surgery. He should be waking up in about an hour but I suggest that you all go home to rest before coming back again. Osamu will be disoriented at first so I suggest coming back tomorrow afternoon." 

Ryu nods, unable to say anything else as tears of joy silently roll down his cheeks. The doctor gingerly places a hand on his shoulder, "It seems that Osamu has good friends, don't worry lad, I saw how you prayed for your friend. You're a good kid. Oh, uh, the nurse is looking for Ranpo to fill out the rest of Osamu Dazai's information." 

Ryu nods and swallow but before he can answer, Ranpo and Edgar comes strolling down the hall with the drinks in their hands. Ranpo greets the doctor, "Don't worry doctor, I already got Osamu Dazai's information and bill covered. Please see to it that he receives the best care possible."

The doctor raises an eyebrow at Ranpo's bold demand but doesn't comment, instead the tall man shakes his head, "Of course, the lad is in good hands. And depending on his progress he'll probably be discharged within two or three weeks."

"Thank you doctor," Edgar says, "Is there anything else?" he asks in a dismissive tone. 

The doctor nods, "Actually, before I forget, I need to inform you since you are the one paying for the lad that…and I don't know if any of you are aware but - Osamu has multiple old scars covering his body. From our professional perspective some appear to be self-inflicted."

The silence stretches awkwardly as the doctor continues, "Now I'm not sure what this lad's history is but I need to give you, as his close friends, a heads-up to keep a close eye on him in the future. Scars and fractures like his tell a million stories and I'm surprised he survived some of them."

Ranpo clears his throat, "Thank you for telling us doctor. We had an idea about our friend but since he's mostly a private person we never knew the extent of his injuries or past in general."

"Yeah," Poe confirms, "But we'll keep an eye on him, after all, friends are always there for each other and we don't plan on abandoning Dazai any time soon."

Ryu is smiling at hearing the two raven-men speak such comforting words and it makes his insides tingle with pure bliss. When the doctor is gone they wake Chuuya up to tell him the good news before the group of unlikely friends head home. 

They need to get their lives in order yet again after this incident, Ryu has to go home at some point - Atsushi need to get his shifts at the diner in order and his studies back on track. Ranpo and Edgar has a mansion filled with people but they're not complaining, Kyouka has to recover from her traumatic experience and go back to school. Chuuya has to take-on his role as manager of Stray Dogs diner while Osamu's future is unknown. 

Everybody has a life to live and now with a somewhat more stable outlook, they can try to act normal again but nothing will be normal from now on and that's a painful fact especially since there are so many unanswered questions hanging on everybody's lips. The most obvious question being:

"Who is Osamu Dazai really?"

To Be Continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost done, thank you to everyone who still follows this fic!


	16. Chapter 16

Osamu Dazai slowly flutter his eyes open, feeling groggy and slightly confused. 'I'm not dead?' he wonders. No, he's in the hospital which means that…

But why would they take somebody like him to a hospital? Didn't they read his file? Surely Ranpo and Poe knows what his past looks like, of course Atsushi knows and now probably Chuuya and Ryu knows too. 

He doesn't quite understand why they cared enough to help him but he appreciates the gesture. It's been a long time since anyone cared this much. This group of people are surely special and to think that they've been through so much ever since this whole 'Nerve'-thing started. 

He smiles thinking about them and something warm swells in his heart. When the brunette closes his eyes again, he feels lighter and more content than he's felt in like forever. 

-

Osamu is discharged after a month and welcomed with open arms. Throughout the whole process it ceased to amaze him how the group of friends stood by his side, each of them taking turns to come and visit him during his hospital stay. Even Kyouka. Of course Chuuya visited him most and he's glad to think that they've grown even closer than before. 

He decided to tell the feisty redhead about his past, what he did and what he went through and Chuuya listened. Osamu wants Chuuya to know everything about him and what's more, when the redhead didn't resent or push him away after telling him about everything…he cried like a baby for the first time in a long while. 

He also cried because he told the group that he couldn't save his adoptive mom, Kouyou, which made Chuuya feel guilty because Kyouka was saved instead. Unfortunately Osamu couldn't disassemble Mori's entire gang but Mori himself died by Dazai's own hands. Ranpo and Edgar took the liberty to help Dazai erase any evidence that may get him locked up for good and jeez, he feels so thankful to them. 

Chuuya insisted he should stay with him and Kyouka but Osamu needed to take charge and sell Kouyou's house now that she's no longer alive. That is what he's doing right now. 

He's driving back to Los Angeles after handling all his adoptive moms' paperwork and cleaning up some loose-ends on Mori's side. Luckily he found Fyodor and split the money, you know, since he has a good heart deep down and then they also parted ways after exchanging contact information. Although, no matter what, Dazai knew even if he loses Fyodor again or cut communications, they always have ways to find each other again. 

The brunette is smirking while imagining the look on Chuuya’s face once he knows what Osamu has done.

Well, it's nothing 'bad' but rather he took the initiative and bought a modern double-story house with a big yard near Kyouka's school. He also opened an account for Kyouka so her future studies are paid in full. And also, he contacted Ichiyo Higuchi and bought Stray Dogs diner to register it under Chuuya’s name, you know, since the red-head might have let it slip that one of dreams is to have his own restaurant. 

Osamu wanted to buy a ring too…but, he figured that it was enough surprises for now and Chuuya might just faint or perhaps punch him, besides, popping the big question is maybe too early at this point. Now that the brunette has bought a house for himself, Kyouka and Chuuya, he figures that living together is the next best step before actually marrying somebody. 

He has his doubts though and often he wonders how it's even possible for Chuuya to love somebody like him. Yet, the affection Chuuya shows has never faltered and Dazai doesn't think he's ever loved anybody in his life this much. 

"Oh fuck!" he curses as the tires squeal on the road, his attention distracted for a moment as he nearly swiveled into a mini bus. "Damnit my heart!" 

He stops for a moment on the side of the road to take a breath and buy some coffee before driving again. 'I need to be more careful', he thinks with a deep frown. 

Reality is so…sometimes it seems so complicated and then he thinks about Chuuya’s lips nipping at his neck. Or Chuuya’s tender-loving hands roaming his scarred body as he whispers how much he loves each part of him…he can honestly say that this is what happiness should feel like. 

And now, with people standing behind him steadfast - Atsushi, Ranpo, Poe, Ryu, Kyouka and of course, the love of his life that he never imagined meeting: Chuuya Nakahara. Surely with such a band, not even a silly game like 'Nerve' will be able to get the better of them. 

Osamu Dazai smirks and throws a middle-finger out the window just as an angry driver swivel pass him again. The driver honks and curses yet the brunette laughs like a maniac. 

'Yep, my life has never meant much until recently and I tend to do my best to keep living while watching the sunset and sunrise reflect within those beautiful blue eyes.'

End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everybody enjoyed this fic, I had a brilliant time writing this and I'm already working on another fic. A Voltron fanfic to be exact hehehe I appreciate all the support and I love you guys!


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